Department for Transport

Cycling and Walking: Staffordshire

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what proportion of funding issued under the Active Travel programme has been allocated to improving (a) cycling and (b) walking facilities in Staffordshire.

Lucy Frazer: Over the past three tranches of active travel funding rounds beginning in 2020 a total of £2,385,500 of Active Travel funding has been awarded to Staffordshire. Funding is not defined by the proportion allocated to individual modes of travel. However, whilst it is not possible to determine the funding directly attributed to cycling or walking, the implementation of active travel schemes has a wider benefit beyond the scope of individual schemes, providing benefits to those who are walking, wheeling, or cycling.

Taxis: Licensing

Justin Tomlinson: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what assessment his Department has made of the potential effect of the removal of vehicle or operator taxi signage on trends in the levels of unlicensed taxi operators active on UK streets.

Lucy Frazer: All taxis and private hire vehicles must be licensed to operate legally. The Government expects licensing authorities to undertake appropriate compliance and enforcement activity to deter illegal plying for hire by unlicensed drivers, and to raise public awareness of the risk of using unlicensed, uninsured and unvetted drivers and vehicles. The Government recently consulted on revised Best Practice Guidance for taxi and private hire vehicle licensing authorities in England which included proposals on vehicle signage. The responses to this consultation are currently being analysed. The Government’s response to this consultation will be published in due course, along with the final version of the guidance.

Trams

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether she plans to help reduce the cost of tram services in England.

Lucy Frazer: The provision of tram services is largely devolved in England. It is for local transport authorities and operating companies to determine ticket prices.Throughout the pandemic, the Government has supported tram systems with exceptional financial support. In total, the Government will have provided around £250 million to English tram and light rail systems outside London. This funding has helped keep services running and reduced any need for local authorities and operators to pass financial pressures on to passengers.The recently announced Energy Bill Relief Scheme will provide a price reduction to ensure that all businesses and other non-domestic customers, including local authorities, are protected from excessively high energy bills over the winter. As an energy intensive sector, it is expected many Light Rail systems will benefit significantly from this scheme.

Travel: Blackpool

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what additional funding his Department provided to (a) Blackpool Council and (b) Blackpool Transport to support the provision of (i) bus and (ii) tram services in Blackpool during the covid-19 outbreak.

Katherine Fletcher: The total funding provided to Blackpool Council and Blackpool Transport for Bus and Light Rail services for March 2020 to October 2022 is £9.5m, broken down below.The additional funding provided to Blackpool Council for Bus Services since March 2020 is £216,052.The additional funding provided to Blackpool Council for Light Rail Services since March 2020 is £3,520,190.The additional funding provided to Blackpool Transport for Bus Services since March 2020 is £5,779,425.

Belfast City Airport: Aer Lingus

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what discussions he has had with (a) Aer Lingus and (b) Belfast City Airport on the potential removal of Aer Lingus services from Belfast City Airport to London Heathrow.

Katherine Fletcher: The UK aviation market operates predominantly in the private sector. Airports invest in their infrastructure to attract passengers and airlines, while airlines are well placed to deliver services to their customers.Northern Ireland is well connected to Great Britain, with several competing services between Belfast and London, the PSO from Derry / Londonderry to London, and routes from Northern Ireland to several cities throughout the UK.

Airports: Fees and Charges

Sir Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, whether her Department plans to introduce a limit to the amount that airports can charge for the use of drop-off facilities.

Katherine Fletcher: Most airports in the UK are managed and operated as private businesses, and parking arrangements are subject to contractual agreements between airport operators and car parking companies covered by consumer laws.The provision and charging of car parking at airports (including drop off and pick charges) is a matter for the airport operator as a commercial business to manage and justify. However, the Department for Transport expects car parking at airports to be managed appropriately and consumers treated fairly

M42: Large Goods Vehicle Drivers

Christopher Pincher: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport, what steps her Department is taking to improve facilities for HGV drivers on the M42, including around Tamworth.

Lucy Frazer: The Government recognises the importance of ensuring hauliers have access to appropriate services and facilities.That is why we are investing £52.5 million in roadside facilities in England for HGV drivers on the road. The funding will go towards supporting operators to make improvements such as improving security, sanitary and eating facilities as well as possibly increasing parking spaces for lorry drivers.We have commissioned a ‘National Lorry Parking Survey’ which commenced in January 2022 and will be used as our primary evidence base to understand what improvements are most needed and where they are needed. The M42 including the area around Tamworth is included in this survey and its output will be used to set criteria for government funding. In addition, once published, the Survey will be available to support planning applications for new lorry parking.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Innovate UK: Expenditure

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, pursuant to the Answer of 26 July 2022 to Question 38656, whether the Total Award by Innovate UK and Award to Academic Institutions will recover to similar sums spent in the years (a) 2017, (b) 2018, (c) 2019 and (d) 2020 during this current award year.

Ms Nusrat Ghani: UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) allocations were published on 30 May 2022, with total of £25.1 billion for 2022-25 and funding will reach its highest ever level in 2024-25 (over £8.8 billion). UKRI’s strategy sets out long-term, high-level priorities for an outstanding research and innovation system in the UK and funding will be allocated in line with this strategy. The proportion of Innovate UK funds that are awarded to academic institutions is not determined in advance, but they will continue to play an important role in delivering Innovate UK’s mission.

Carbon Emissions

Patricia Gibson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the UK meets its net zero targets during the period of its membership of the Energy Charter Treaty.

Graham Stuart: On 24 June 2022, Contracting Parties came to an agreement in principle on the amendments to modernise the Energy Charter Treaty. The modernised Energy Charter Treaty recognises the urgent need to address climate change and align with the UNFCCC and Paris Agreement. It promotes an accelerated energy transition and reduces the risk of successful challenge to UK net zero policies.

Attorney General

Attorney General: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Attorney General on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for staff in (a) his department, (b) the Government Legal Department, (c) the Crown Prosecution Service and (d) the Serious Fraud Office regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by those organisations as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Michael Tomlinson: Based on available data, zero.

Department of Health and Social Care

Infectious Diseases: Death Certificates

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if his Department will take steps to review its death certification policy to allow for sepsis, infection and antimicrobial resistance to be registered as causes of death to support the NHS in measuring and monitoring the impact of those conditions.

Will Quince: Medical practitioners are expected to state the cause of death to the best of their knowledge and belief, including where death occurs as a result of infection and sepsis or where this was a contributing factor. The Department published a revised commitment in the 2022 Addendum to the ‘UK 5-year action plan for antimicrobial resistance 2019 to 2024’ to “work with the relevant professional bodies to seek to enhance training in death certification so that it records AMR where this can be identified as a cause of death”. The Department is working with NHS England and the devolved administrations to explore options for progressing this commitment before the end of the current action plan in 2024.

Dentistry: Training

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what her policy is on allowing local NHS commissioners to use flexible commissioning to improve the training of dentists, including clinicians from outside the UK.

Will Quince: NHS England is able to use flexible commissioning to convert units of dental activity to activity which focuses on priority areas, such as improving access to urgent care or targeting high risk patient groups. On 29 March 2021, NHS England released a flexible commissioning toolkit for regional commissioners to provide good practice which can be implemented locally. NHS England is monitoring the use of these measures.

General Practitioners: Staff

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment the Government has made of the extent to which the recruitment and retention of GP receptionists is adequate to meet the needs of patients.

Will Quince: No specific assessment has been made. General practitioner practices are independent contractors and determine receptionist staffing levels to meet the needs and obligations of the contract. However, the Additional Reimbursement Scheme allows general practices to recruit a variety of non–medical primary care staff. These roles may contribute to the running of the practice, such as assisting with administrative processes and duties.

NHS: Dental Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many NHS dental contracts have been handed back in each NHS region in of the last five financial years.

Will Quince: Information on the number of contract terminations at the request of the contractor in each region in England in 2021/22 and 2022/23 is attached. Information prior to 2021/22 is not held centrally.Attachment (docx, 19.2KB)

Evusheld: Procurement

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, with reference to the announcement on 12 August 2022 that Government will not be procuring any doses of Evusheld at this time, if he will provide a full list of the experts who were consulted in the process of making this decision.

Robert Jenrick: The decision not to procure Evusheld at this present time for prevention through emergency routes is based on independent clinical advice by the multi-agency RAPID C-19 and a national expert policy working group. The decision is based on a range of evidence, including clinical trial data, in vitro analysis and emerging observational studies, including the study published on 29 July 2022. These groups concluded that there is currently insufficient evidence of benefit against Omicron variants to recommend deployment. The Chief Medical Officer for England is content that the correct process for providing clinical advice has been followed and it should now be referred to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence for further evaluation. The Department intends to publish further details of the clinical advice received shortly.

Social Service: Finance

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take steps to help ensure that adult social care providers receiving the revised Cost of Care from local authorities from October 2023, while simultaneously receiving higher self funder rates to 2025 from those already living in care homes, will use any excess profits accrued in those two years to improve the quality of care and or to alleviate workforce pressures.

Neil O'Brien: We are committing £1.36 billion over three years to the Market Sustainability and Fair Cost of Care Fund, to support local authorities to prepare markets for reform and move towards paying a fair cost of care. In 2022/23, this will include collecting data on actual provider costs and devising a strategy to use funding to address market risks, which could include workforce pressures. In 2023/24 and 2024/25, we expect local authorities to implement this strategy, including making further movement towards paying providers a fair cost of care.

Diabetes: Medical Equipment

Andrew Bridgen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether her Department has had recent discussions with (a) the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and (b) clinical commissioning groups on the rollout of Libre Two sensors to manage diabetes.

Robert Jenrick: There have been no recent discussions. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence updated its guidance on real-time and intermittently scanned continuous glucose monitoring, such as FreeStyle Libre 2 sensors for eligible patients. The newly established integrated care boards will take this guidance into account in commissioning services for local populations.

Health Services: Facilities

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will discuss with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities steps to encourage local authorities to use their powers under section 106 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 to develop new health facilities such as GP practices.

Robert Jenrick: We are working with the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on the proposed reforms in the ‘Planning For The Future’ white paper and how it can support growing demand on the healthcare system, including how the National Health Service can access infrastructure funds and developer contributions.We are reviewing the NHS’s capability to navigate the planning system and access funding where available, establishing dedicated expertise in NHS England, the production of guidance for NHS organisations and supporting the sharing of best practice. In addition, integrated care systems will play a role in strategic infrastructure planning to improve facilities, including in primary care, by encouraging collaboration between partners, in particular local authorities, to plan public services, secure available funding and improve health outcomes for communities.

Hospitals: York

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an estimate of the potential timeframe for establishing a new teaching hospital in York.

Robert Jenrick: A process to select the next eight hospitals for the New Hospital Programme was launched in summer 2021, where all interested trusts could submit an expression of interest. No expression of interest was received for a new teaching hospital in York.

Drugs: Labelling

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the efficacy of standardising colour coding of capsules between manufacturers to help patients ensure that they are taking the correct medicine.

Robert Jenrick: Regulatory guidance published since 2015 recognises the issue of tablet colour in treatment compliance and encourages suppliers and manufacturers to produce generic versions which are visually aligned with the innovator product.

NHS and Primary Health Care: Buildings

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what mechanism her Department uses to assess the estate requirements of (a) the NHS and (b) primary care.

Robert Jenrick: The Department and NHS England are responsible for the National Health Service estate, including assessing current requirements and policies. In 2018 we supported the NHS to prepare sustainability and transformation plan (STP) infrastructure strategies, which informed programmes for capital investment.In 2019 the Department published ‘Health Infrastructure Plan: A new, strategic approach to improving our hospitals and health infrastructure’ which launched the New Hospital Programme. In addition, NHS England collects data through the Estates Return Information Collection which assesses the safety, quality, efficiency and effectiveness of the NHS estate.

General Practitioners: Technology

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of technology on productivity in general practice; and if she will take steps to help ensure that all practices have access to modern systems.

Robert Jenrick: The potential impact of technology on general practice productivity is assessed by NHS England. Ensuring practices have access to modern systems is a core programme within NHS England and continues to deliver funded infrastructure, technology and systems directly into practices. The associated frameworks to deliver these products are regularly updated as technologies evolve.

NHS Trusts: Clinical Waste

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what proportion of NHS Trusts have a six month termination clause in contracts for the supply of clinical waste services.

Robert Jenrick: The information requested is not collected centrally. Contractual decisions are made by individual trusts locally and the Department does not mandate terms of each contract.

Blackpool Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust: Finance

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what additional capital funding her Department has made available for the development of facilities at Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust.

Robert Jenrick: Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust receives an annual capital allocation for its operational needs. In addition, the Trust has received £22.7 million for local infrastructure schemes over the last three years. The Trust received £5.1 million for investment in its estate and digital initiatives from the Elective Recovery Targeted Investment Fund announced in September 2021. In 2020/21, the Trust received £2.8 million for the expansion of the emergency department and £1.9 million to address backlog maintenance across its estate. In 2021/22, we also provided the Trust with £12.9 million for improvements to Fylde Coast Emergency Department to expand and develop an ambulatory village and centralise clinical care.

Radiotherapy: Medical Equipment

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate his Department has made of the (a) number and (b) age of radiotherapy machines in use by the NHS in England.

Will Quince: The NHS Long Term Plan committed to invest £130 million in radiotherapy equipment between 2016 and 2018, with an additional £32 million provided in 2021/22. This has enabled the replacement or upgrade of approximately 100 radiotherapy treatment machines.The 2021 Spending Review allocated £12 billion of operational capital for the National Health Service over the next three years and the recent Capital Planning Guidance requires the majority of radiotherapy equipment to be replaced at 10 years of age. As of 31 March 2022, the number of linear accelerators aged 10 years old and over was approximately 20 out of a total of 268 machines in NHS service.

NHS: Dental Services

Sir Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the review of the contractual arrangements under which NHS dental treatment is carried out will be completed.

Will Quince: In July 2022, we announced measures to improve the National Health Service dental system and in ‘Our plan for patients’ published in September 2022. This aims to increase access for patients, including those with greater oral health needs and ensure that dentists are fairly rewarded for the delivery of NHS care. Further information on improving access for patients, including in the South West, will be available later in the autumn.

Cancer: Health Services

Wes Streeting: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when her Department plans to publish the 10-year cancer plan; and if she will make a statement.

Will Quince: On 15 September 2022, the Government has confirmed the commitment to publishing a 10 year cancer plan, including for childhood cancers. The plan is being developed following the call for evidence earlier this year, which received 5,000 responses. Further details will be announced in due course.

Dental Services: Torridge and West Devon

Sir Geoffrey Cox: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, if she will take urgent steps to improve the availability and quality of NHS dental treatment in Torridge and West Devon constituency.

Will Quince: In July 2022, we announced measures to improve the National Health Service dental system and in ‘Our plan for patients’ published in September 2022. This aims to increase access for patients, including those with greater oral health needs and ensure that dentists are fairly rewarded for the delivery of NHS care. Further information on improving access for patients, including in the South West, will be available later in the autumn.

Social Services: Older People

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government is taking to ensure that local authority care providers deliver the best possible levels of care for elderly people.

Neil O'Brien: Under the Care Act 2014, local authorities have a duty to shape the care provider market to deliver a diverse range of high quality, person-centred care and support services.The white paper ‘People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform’ set out how we will work with the Care Quality Commission to introduce a new assurance framework to assess local authorities’ delivery of adult social care duties under the Care Act.

Social Services: Older People

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps the Government takes to ensure that adequate and compassionate care for elderly patients is (a) affordable and (b) of high quality.

Neil O'Brien: ‘People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform’, published in December 2021, set out how the Government will address quality, fairness and accessibility in adult social care services.We continue to support local authorities to meet adult social care duties and deliver high quality care, including developing new measures relating to the workforce, strengthening assurance and improving outcome data.

Skin Diseases: General Practitioners

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to increase the number of GPs with an extended role in dermatology.

Will Quince: Integrated care boards are now responsible for the commissioning of dermatology services provided through primary and secondary care. The Royal College of General Practitioners and Health Education England define the core curriculum for general practitioners (GPs) which sets out the knowledge expected for a range of conditions, including dermatology.GPs with Extended Roles (GPwERs) undertake roles beyond the scope of GP training and the Membership of the Royal College of General Practitioners postgraduate medical qualification and require additional training, such as the specialty of dermatology. The Royal College of General Practitioners and NHS England have developed a framework which describes a new approach to the accreditation of GPwERs. It is for individual GPs to determine if they wish to extend their roles and training and for commissioners to encourage this training in areas of special need.

NHS: Dental Services

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of whole time equivalent dentists providing NHS dentistry in England by Parliamentary constituency.

Will Quince: The information requested is not held at constituency level.

NHS: Dental Services

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, how many people in England are registered with NHS dentists.

Will Quince: The information requested is not held centrally.

Dental Services: Private Sector

Mr Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate she has made of the number of people in England who are registered at private dental surgeries.

Will Quince: The information requested is not held centrally, as registrations for private dental treatment are managed directly by dental practices.

Skin Diseases: Integrated Care Systems

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that Integrated Care Systems implement NHS England’s Dermatology National Outpatients Transformation Programme guidance.

Will Quince: NHS England is supporting integrated care systems (ICSs) to implement the National Outpatients Transformation Programme’s guidance, including through baseline self-assessment tools and guidance on patient pathways. NHS England has delivered webinars to support understanding of the guidance, implementation and sharing best practice case studies for National Health Service regions, ICSs and provider trusts. Case studies from providers which have implemented improvements in dermatology services have been published on the FutureNHS platform.Regional teams will assure delivery through the system oversight framework and priority planning framework. The NHS has launched a rapid access teledermatology advice and guidance service for general practitioners and is implementing technology such as digital imaging. A teledermatology roadmap is also available to ICSs to provide recommendations on optimising triage and specialist advice.

Social Prescribing: Children and Young People

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps she has taken to introduce social prescribing for (a) children and (b) young people.

Will Quince: As of June 2022, there were 2,662 social prescribing link workers and over 1.2 million referrals had been made, connecting people to agencies for practical, emotional and social support and to community groups and activities. Primary Care Networks and local systems are encouraged to work with local stakeholders to develop social prescribing provision and community assets in the area. Social prescribing is a universal offer and local areas devise plans in line with the needs of the local population which can include adults, children and young people.

Social Prescribing

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the impact of his Department's social prescribing measures on (a) mental health and (b) wellbeing.

Will Quince: The National Institute for Health and Care Research is currently evaluating the impact of social prescribing link workers. The Government has also invested in the ‘Using green social prescribing to prevent and tackle mental ill health’ project. An evaluation has been commissioned and additional research elements include a scalability study and three trials testing the effectiveness of green social prescribing interventions on mental health outcomes.

Patients: Transport

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the impact of amending the Non-Emergency patient transport policy on (a) people on low incomes, (b) vulnerable people and (c) disabled people.

Will Quince: NHS England’s review of non-emergency patient transport services (NEPTS) introduced a new national framework to ensure more responsive, fair and sustainable services. NHS England undertook an equality and health inequalities assessment which considered the impact of the review and its findings to ensure there were no negative impacts or unintended consequences. NHS England also engaged with providers, commissioners and patient groups to understand the impact of changes, with a public consultation on the proposed eligibility criteria.In the updated guidance, commissioners and providers are reminded that service design and communications should be appropriate and accessible to meet the needs of diverse population groups and take into account the relevant duties under statutes such as the Equality Act. In addition, each system should complete a localised equality and health inequalities assessment and quality impact assessment as part of the local implementation process.NHS England advises that local systems can consider adding further criteria when determining eligibility for NEPTS, such as a very high frequency of treatment, long distances to travel or high costs of travel, and/or limited public transport options.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme

Nigel Mills: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent steps his Department has taken to reduce the backlog of unresolved Vaccine Damage Payment claims.

Will Quince: The Department is working with the NHS Business Services Authority, which has administered the Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme since November 2021, to reduce the backlog of claims.The NHS Business Services Authority has increased the scheme’s capacity with 40 named caseworkers, additional supporting staff and the appointment of an independent third-party supplier to provide additional medical assessments. The NHS Business Services Authority has also introduced time limits for the provision of records and a call back process to improve the return rate of medical records required for assessments.

Skin Diseases: Health Services

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential impact of the two-week wait cancer referral target on referral waiting times for inflammatory skin conditions.

Will Quince: The Department has made no specific assessment. The two-week cancer referral target for cancer reflects the importance of early diagnosis and treatment. Patients should wait no longer than 18 weeks for all other non-urgent, consultant-led treatments, including for inflammatory skin conditions.

Colour Vision Deficiency

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what estimate he has made of the number of people diagnosed with colour blindness in the last three years.

Will Quince: The information requested is not held centrally. The majority of patients with colour blindness will be diagnosed in primary care, while those patients with severe symptoms receive treatment in hospital. While data is collected on those diagnosed in secondary care with colour vision deficiencies, this includes a range of conditions and does not separately identify those diagnosed with colour blindness.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Greater London

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 6704 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Greater London, how many and what proportion of unsuccessful claimants to the scheme had been referred for medical assessment.

Will Quince: All claims meeting the criteria of the scheme are referred for medical assessment. To meet this criteria, claims must be for a vaccine administered within the United Kingdom, Isle of Man or through medical treatment in the armed forces for a disease listed within the Vaccine Damage Payments Act 1979; filed on or before the claimant’s 21st birthday or within six years of receiving the vaccination, whichever is later.

Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Havering

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, pursuant to the Answer of 13 June 2022 to Question 6704 on Vaccine Damage Payment Scheme: Greater London, what the threshold is for allowing his Department to provide information on payments under the scheme in the London Borough of Havering without risking the identification of individuals.

Will Quince: The Department is unable to provide the information requested where the number of claimants is fewer than five. There is a risk that claimants could be identified using a combination of information which may be in the public domain or reasonably available.

Sepsis: Screening

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that screening for sepsis is available in all healthcare settings.

Will Quince: Screening, diagnosis and treatment of deterioration from infection, including from sepsis, is supported in all healthcare settings by use of the National Early Warning Score (NEWS2), a screening tool which assists clinicians to identify and respond to patients at risk of deteriorating from infection. Additionally, we are working with NHS England to update NEWS2 following publication of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges’ ‘Statement on the initial antimicrobial treatment of sepsis’ in May 2022, to ensure that clinicians working in acute settings are provided with a framework for clinical judgement of the management and treatment of deterioration from infection, including sepsis.

Allergies: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure patients with multiple allergies such as asthma and eczema have access to a multidisciplinary team who can consider the best care for the patient across their conditions; and whether he will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: NHS England commissions specialist allergy services for patients with complex and severe allergy. The service specification sets out that specialist allergy centres should ensure that multidisciplinary care is provided for patients. There are regular review meetings between the regional commissioning teams and providers to ensure compliance with service standards.

Allergies: Health Services

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps her Department is taking to ensure patients with allergies receive a referral to specialist care for the best possible evidence based treatment as recommended in the Allergy UK Patient charter for people who live with allergic disease; and if she will make a statement.

Neil O'Brien: The majority of allergy services are commissioned locally by integrated care systems, with specialist allergy services for patients with complex and severe allergies commissioned nationally by NHS England. There are resources available to support health care professionals in making referrals to specialist services, including guidance from the British Society for Allergy and Clinical Immunology, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence and the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health.

Supported Housing: Finance

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, when the £300 million for supported housing will be made available; and how (a) local authorities and (b) housing providers will be able to access that funding.

Neil O'Brien: The ‘People at the Heart of Care: adult social care reform’ white paper, published on 1 December 2021, announced a £300 million investment in housing over the next three years to connect housing with health and care and increase the stock of new supported housing. We are currently developing this work with local authorities, housing providers and others and further information will be available in due course.

Social Services: Training

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether she has had discussions with NHS England regarding sharing community health training resources with social care staff.

Neil O'Brien: There have been no specific discussions. Access to e-learning for health is accessible for all health and care staff.

Care Homes: Visits

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps she is taking to ensure all care home residents are able to receive visits from at least one visitor when there are visitor restrictions within the home in which they reside.

Neil O'Brien: The Government’s guidance states that every care home resident should be able to receive at least one visitor when outbreak restrictions are in place.If a resident or their family have concerns that a care home is not following the guidance appropriately, these should be raised with the service provider in the first instance. The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman or the Care Quality Commission can also investigate such concerns where it cannot be resolved locally.

Social Services: Staff

Karin Smyth: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what discussions she has had with independent care providers on workforce pressures in adult social care since her Department's discussions on that matter with a provider reference group in July 2022.

Neil O'Brien: The Department continues to work with representatives of independent care providers to understand and monitor workforce pressures in adult social care. This includes a recent roundtable with sector leaders to set out ‘Our Plan for Patients’, which includes an additional £500 million for social care this winter.

Department for Education

Pupils: Attendance

Alex Sobel: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what the proposed routes of appeal are against the School Attendance Orders available for parents under the Schools Bill.

Jonathan Gullis: The Schools Bill has not proposed any changes to the route of appeal available to parents against School Attendance Orders.Once parents have applied for revocation to the local authority, on the basis that their child will receive suitable education out of school and had that application refused, parents can appeal to the Secretary of State to overrule a local authority’s refusal to revoke a School Attendance Order.There are other routes of complaint available for parents, which includes: the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman when a parent believes a local authority has not acted as per law and guidance; and the Education Act 1996 gives the Secretary of State powers to intervene when a local authority exercises their functions unreasonably or fails to comply with duties under that Act.

Schools: Energy

Mike Amesbury: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department is taking with (a) Cabinet colleagues and (b) stakeholders on decreasing energy costs in schools.

Jonathan Gullis: A new Energy Bill Relief Scheme was announced on Wednesday 21 September 2022 by the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. This will reduce how much schools need to spend on their energy and give schools greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months.Any school which has signed a fixed energy contract since April 2022 will be eligible for support if, at the time they signed their contact, wholesale prices for the next six months were expected to be higher than the Government supported price of £211/MWh for electricity, and £75/MWh for gas.For example, a school which uses 10 MWh of electricity and 22 MWh of gas a month and signed a fixed contract giving them a current monthly energy bill of about £10,000, would receive support based on the difference between expected wholesale prices when they signed their contract and the Government supported price. For a contract signed in July 2022, this could be worth £240/MWh for electricity and £70/MWh for gas, meaning the school receives a discount of £4,000 per month, reducing their original bill by 40%.Support will also be available to schools on variable, deemed and other contracts. There will be a review in three months’ time to determine how the scheme should best be targeted beyond this period to focus support on vulnerable sectors.The details of the scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers.The Department has spoken to a range of organisations representing head teachers and directly to head teachers themselves. Discussions have included issues around the cost of energy in schools and build on the regular engagement the Department has with stakeholders.Schools can benefit from our Schools Resource Management offer, which includes the Get Help Buying for Schools Service, which provides specialist support, advice, and guidance for schools around their procurement activity.The guidance can be accessed here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/buying-for-schools/energy.In addition, the Department has guidance available for schools on managing their energy usage, including a range of top tips to help schools save money, reduce their energy consumption, and increase energy efficiency.

Schools: Energy

Bim Afolami: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, whether the Government is planning to take steps to support schools in Hitchin and Harpenden constituency with their energy bills over the coming winter.

Jonathan Gullis: Significant cash increases to school funding will help schools to manage these higher costs. Overall, core schools funding (including funding for both mainstream schools and high needs) is increasing by £4 billion in 2022/23 compared to the previous year.Schools in Hitchin and Harpenden are attracting £81.6 million in total this year, a 4% cash increase. This reflects 3% more per pupil in their pupil-led funding compared to 2021/22. Schools’ actual allocations in 2022/23 will be based on local authorities’ local funding formulae.On top of this funding through the National Funding Formula, schools in Hitchin and Harpenden are seeing £2.4 million through the Schools Supplementary Grant.Schools will also benefit from the Energy Bill Relief Scheme, which will run until at least the 31 March 2023. This will reduce how much schools need to spend on their energy, and give schools greater certainty over their budgets over the winter months.Any school which has signed a fixed energy contract since April 2022 will be eligible for support if, at the time they signed their contact, wholesale prices for the next 6 months were expected to be higher than the Government supported price of £211/MWh for electricity, and £75/MWh for gas.For example, a school which uses 10 MWh of electricity and 22 MWh of gas a month and signed a fixed contract giving them a current monthly energy bill of about £10,000, would receive support based on the difference between expected wholesale prices when they signed their contract and the Government supported price. For a contract signed in July 2022, this could be worth £240/MWh for electricity and £70/MWh for gas, meaning the school receives a discount of £4,000 per month, reducing their original bill by 40%.Support will also be available to schools on variable, deemed and other contracts.There will be a review in 3 months time to determine how the scheme should best be targeted beyond this period to focus support on vulnerable sectors.The details of the scheme can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/energy-bill-relief-scheme-help-for-businesses-and-other-non-domestic-customers.More broadly, the Department allocates annual capital funding to improve the condition of school buildings, including through improving energy efficiency. The Department has allocated over £13 billion in condition funding since 2015, including £1.8 billion this financial year. In addition, the School Rebuilding Programme will transform 500 schools over the next decade, with all new buildings delivered through the programme designed to be net zero carbon in operation. Schools can also access funding specifically for carbon reduction and energy efficiency measures through the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s Public Sector Decarbonisation Fund.Every school’s circumstances are different, and where schools are in serious financial difficulty, they should contact their local authority or the Education and Skills Funding Agency.

Education: Blackpool

Scott Benton: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what additional funding his Department has made available through (a) education investment areas and (b) education opportunity areas to support young people in Blackpool.

Jonathan Gullis: Blackpool benefited from over £10 million of funding through the Opportunity Areas programme between 2017 and July 2022. Blackpool will continue to benefit from continued support as a Priority Education Investment Area (PEIA).In all 55 Education Investment Areas (EIAs), the Department will be taking steps to support underperforming schools to make necessary improvements, build trust capacity and improve digital connectivity. Over the next 3 years, up to £86 million in trust capacity funding and £150 million for extending the Connect the Classroom programme are being prioritised in EIAs, with all schools in Blackpool receiving the offer of Connect the Classroom funding. In EIAs, the Department is also offering the Levelling Up premium, worth up to £3,000 tax free, to eligible teachers.In each of the 24 PEIAs, the Department will offer further investment in addition to the significant support available to all EIAs. PEIAs will receive a share of around £40 million of funding to address local needs, and priority access to a number of other programmes offered by the Department.

Literacy: Teaching Methods

Mohammad Yasin: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what comparative assessment his Department has made of the reading and spelling levels of children taught through (a) the phonics approach and (b) alternative methods.

Jonathan Gullis: There is significant evidence that systematic phonics works better than other methods for teaching early reading. In 2005, the Department commissioned a review into the teaching of early learning and the report from the review, led by Sir Jim Rose, was published in 2006. The Rose Review recommended that systematic phonics should be the prime approach for teaching children to read.The review can be found here: https://dera.ioe.ac.uk/5551/2/report.pdf.A review on phonics was carried out by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF) and the Sutton Trust who are, together, the Government-designated What Works Centre for Education. They found that phonics is more effective on average than other approaches for early reading, when embedded in a rich literacy environment. Systematic phonics consistently supports younger readers to master the basics and the EEF considers it the most secure area of pedagogy.The review can be found here: https://educationendowmentfoundation.org.uk/education-evidence/teaching-learning-toolkit/phonics.The Department is committed to raising literacy standards, ensuring all children can read fluently and with understanding. Since 2010, the Government has accelerated the effective teaching of phonics, by placing it right at the heart of the curriculum. This has included introducing the annual phonics screening check (PSC) in 2012 for pupils at the end of year 1 and changing the national curriculum published in 2013 which requires schools to teach reading using systematic phonics. In 2019, 82% of 6-year-olds met the expected phonics standard, compared to 58% in 2012. Success in phonics is also predictive of later reading comprehension.In 2016, England recorded its highest ever score in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study, with a significant improvement compared to 2006 and 2011. This improvement is largely attributable to increases in the average performance of lower performing pupils and boys. These results followed a greater focus on reading in the primary curriculum, and a particular focus on phonics.In 2018, the Department also launched a £26.3 million English Hubs Programme dedicated to improving the teaching of reading, with a focus on supporting children making the slowest progress in reading, many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds. The 34 English Hubs in the programme are primary schools which excel at teaching early reading. The Department has since invested a further £17 million in this school-to-school improvement programme, which focusses on systematic synthetic phonics, early language, and reading for pleasure.The teaching of reading now also receives greater focus in Ofsted’s inspection framework.In 2021/22 the academic year, the Department introduced the Reception Baseline Assessment (RBA) to act as a baseline for primary progress measures at the end of key stage 2. The assessment will help determine a pupil’s experience prior to primary school, which will be influenced by various factors. At present there are no plans to publish interim progress measures as there is currently no data to assess the pupil’s progress in phonics between the RBA and PSC (the first cohort to have taken the RBA will complete their PSC in June 2023).

Ministry of Justice

Juries: Public Sector

Alun Cairns: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of exempting key public sector workers from jury service.

Gareth Johnson: Jurors are summoned randomly by the Jury Central Summoning Bureau (JCSB) using the Electoral Voting Registers, and at the point of being called for jury service a person’s occupation is not known. Each application for deferral or excusal is considered on its own merit, in a way that is both fair to the individual and consistent with the needs of the court in providing a representative jury. Applications for excusal or deferral from NHS staff are being treated particularly sympathetically whilst they are dealing with recovery from the impacts of the pandemic.

Department for International Trade

Trade Fairs: Environment Protection

Ruth Cadbury: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, whether her Department still intends to host a green trade and investment expo in autumn 2022.

Mr Marcus Fysh: The Green Trade and Investment Expo (GTIE) remains a key event in the Government’s drive towards net zero and a greener economy. GTIE is a chance to showcase the investment and export opportunities presented by HMG’s focus on these areas. It will be central to clean growth trade activity, coinciding with International Trade Week and just ahead of COP27, where the UK will once again showcase our innovative green companies. GTIE will demonstrate UK leadership in capitalising on the environmental business and clean growth opportunities available in the UK. The northeast location is also important to HMG’s levelling up agenda.

UK Trade with EU

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to support businesses which have lost trade with the EU since Brexit.

Mr Marcus Fysh: The Export Support Service, as part of the refreshed Export Strategy launched last November, helps businesses at every stage of exporting. It is a front door for businesses who require support adapting to changes following Brexit. Furthermore, the Department has initiatives such as the Export Academy and the Export Champions scheme that help to give businesses the knowledge and practical help that UK businesses need. Goods exported to the EU in the 12 months to July 2022 were up 17.9% in current prices compared to the previous 12 months, whilst Services exports to the EU and non-EU increased by 8.0% in current prices during the same period.

Overseas Trade

Neil Coyle: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, how many British businesses her Department has supported with the creation of new trading relationships outside the EU since the UK left the EU.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Since leaving the EU, the UK has agreed trade deals with 71 non-EU countries. Our Export Strategy sets out a 12-point plan to help businesses expand their export opportunities. Our ‘Made in the UK, Sold to the World’ marketing campaign ensures UK companies are aware of the opportunities of our independent trade policy. Export Support Service – International Markets is a new offer focused on high potential small and medium-sized enterprises, providing advice and support on entering global markets, and referral to the private sector for specialist support. Additionally, Department for International Trade teams across 180 global markets use their knowledge and relationships to open doors for UK businesses.

UK Export Finance

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what assessment her Department has made of the effectiveness of UK Export Finance in supporting UK businesses.

Mr Marcus Fysh: British businesses have been helped to export to 61 countries around the world over the past year with £7.4 billion of government support through UK Export Finance – providing a significant boost to jobs and the UK economy. This support has helped 545 companies directly (of whom 81% were small and medium sized enterprises), and thousands more indirectly in supply chains. During that year, UK Export Finance supported around 72,000 UK jobs. UK Export Finance provided £33 billion of support to UK exporters during the period 2017/18 to 2021/22. UK Export Finance was recently named the world’s best ECA at the International TFG Trade Awards 2022.

Exports: Solihull

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department is taking to ease barriers to exports for medium-sized businesses in Solihull constituency.

Mr Marcus Fysh: Through the Export Strategy, the Department for International Trade (DIT) is targeting the barriers affecting small-and-medium sized businesses (SMEs) by providing a single point of contact for businesses who export or wish to do so. SMEs also benefit from the Internationalisation Fund, having so far attracted around 4,400 applications and allocated around £21M in funding. DIT work with businesses to reduce trade barriers and secure world-class free trade agreements, supporting British business to take full advantage of trade opportunities. DIT has directly assisted Solihull based Evac+Chair, a globally renowned manufacturer of evacuation chairs, with market access issues into both Spain and USA resulting in their business growth.

UK Trade with EU

Sir Mark Hendrick: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps she is taking with Cabinet colleagues to help improve the UK-EU trading relationship.

Conor Burns: I am pleased to note that goods exported to the EU in the 12 months ending July 2022 were worth £178 billion. An increase of £27 billion (18%) on the previous 12 months and now higher than goods exported in 2018, so trade values are increasing. To further increase exports, we need to get more British businesses exporting for the first time, including through initiatives such as the Export Academy and our Export Champions, giving exporters the knowledge and practical help that they need.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Ukraine: Armed Conflict

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps is he taking to support Ukrainian authorities with the exhumation and identification of victims of alleged mass killings by Russian forces in (a) Bucha and (b) Izyum.

Leo Docherty: The Attorney General led a scoping mission to the region in May, to assess how the UK could help the Ukrainian Prosecutor General to identify and collect evidence of atrocities. Since then, the UK has been supporting the Office of the Prosecutor General in its work to investigate potential war crimes committed in Ukraine. Our support has included the creation of the Atrocity Crimes Advisory Group, which the UK helped to establish alongside the United States and the European Union, and a £2.5 million support package.

Brazil: Elections

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to work with the international community to ensure that the upcoming Brazilian election is (a) free and fair and (b) not disrupted by political violence.

Jesse Norman: The UK has made clear its hope that the entire country, including all candidates and political parties, will respect core democratic principles, electoral processes and the election result.We are closely monitoring reports of political violence ahead of the elections and, through our Embassy in Brasilia, the UK continues to engage with the Brazilian Government, political parties and civil society organisations, including on the issue of election security.

Somalia: Famine

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to (a) increase funding to tackle and (b) organise diplomatic action on the prospect of famine in Somalia.

Gillian Keegan: Almost half of Somalia's population is in dire need of help, with 300,000 people forecast to be in famine by October if assistance is not provided immediately. On 21 September at the UN General Assembly, the Minister for Development, Vicky Ford MP, announced a £22.8 million package of assistance for Somalia to alleviate the impact of drought and address the risk of famine. This brings the UK's total support to Somalia since 1 April 2022 to £52.8 million covering humanitarian, protection, health and nutrition support.As co-chair of the Somalia Donor Group, the UK continues to lobby for more funds from the international community and non-traditional donors for the urgent response that is required now and to help build resilience for vulnerable populations.

Alaa Abdel Fattah

Marsha De Cordova: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to secure the release of imprisoned British citizen Alaa Abd el-Fattah ahead of COP27 in Egypt.

Gillian Keegan: Since his sentencing in December 2021, FCDO officials have consistently called on the Egyptian Government urgently to grant consular access to Alaa Abdel Fattah. Lord (Tariq) Ahmad and the former Foreign Secretary also raised the case with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to London in July. The former Prime Minister raised the case with President Sisi during a call on 25 August, expressing his hope for swift and positive progress. We continue to support the family of Alaa Abdel Fattah.

Uganda: Development Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what (a) safeguards and (b) reporting mechanisms are in place to monitor the spending of UK Overseas Development Assistance in relation to tackling hunger in Northern Uganda.

Gillian Keegan: The UK provides humanitarian assistance in the Karamoja region and to refugee and refugee-hosting populations throughout Uganda through the 'Building Resilience and an Effective Emergency Refugee Response' (BRAER) programme. In financial year 2021-22, the programme helped to provide 1.3 million people with humanitarian assistance, including relieving hunger and treating malnutrition among women and children. The programme's effectiveness is assessed, and its spending monitored, through regular field visits, feedback from beneficiaries, FCDO scrutiny of implementing partners' financial reports, annual audits and annual programme reviews - the latter are published online at https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-205206/documents.

Uganda: Development Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of UK funded aid projects to help relieve hunger in Uganda.

Gillian Keegan: The UK provides humanitarian assistance in the Karamoja region and to refugee and refugee-hosting populations throughout Uganda through the 'Building Resilience and an Effective Emergency Refugee Response' (BRAER) programme. In financial year 2021-22, the programme helped to provide 1.3 million people with humanitarian assistance, including relieving hunger and treating malnutrition among women and children. The programme's effectiveness is assessed, and its spending monitored, through regular field visits, feedback from beneficiaries, FCDO scrutiny of implementing partners' financial reports, annual audits and annual programme reviews - the latter are published online at https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-205206/documents.

Development Aid

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the implementation of the Expanding Social Protection Programme Phase II project.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has supported the development of Uganda's social protection system for the last ten years, working closely with the Government of the Republic of Ireland and the Government of Uganda, most recently through the Expanding Social Protection Programme Phase II (ESP II). This has established a Senior Citizens' Grant (SCG) which is currently benefitting over 350,000 Ugandans over 80 (60% of whom are women). The Government of Uganda has been fully funding the SCG since July 2021, and the ESP II programme will close later this year. The programme's effectiveness is assessed through annual programme reviews, which are published at https://devtracker.fcdo.gov.uk/projects/GB-1-204861/documents.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia published on 19 September 2022, what steps he will take to support accountability for the abuses found to have been committed by Tigrayan forces in Koba and Chenna in late August and early September 2021.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia published on 19 September 2022, what steps he will take to support accountability for abuses found to have been committed by the Ethiopian National Defence Force and its personnel in the Mekelle area between 28 November 2020 and 28 June 2021.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia published on 19 September 2022, what steps she will take to support accountability for acts of rape and other sexual violence found by that report to have been committed by personnel of (a) Eritrean Defence Forces, (b) Tigrayan forces, (c) Ethiopian National Defence Force and (d) Fano militia.

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the finding in report of the international commission of human rights experts on Ethiopia, published by the United Nations Human Rights Council on 19 September 2022, that the denial and obstruction of humanitarian access to Tigray Region by the Federal Government of Ethiopia and allied regional State governments was committed for the purpose of depriving the Tigrayan population of objects indispensable for its survival, including food and healthcare, if he will take steps to help support accountability in relation to this finding.

Gillian Keegan: The UK co-sponsored the resolution mandating the creation of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). We will be strongly supporting the renewal of the Commission's mandate at the forthcoming 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council, as made clear in the statement delivered by the UK's Ambassador for Human Rights on 22 September. We are urging all parties to facilitate its investigations, for the Ethiopian Government to cooperate with the Commission, and to support the extension of its mandate at this session. The British Embassy in Ethiopia regularly raises human rights issues with the Ethiopian Government.The UK's Human Rights and Peacebuilding programme (HARP) in Ethiopia is providing support to build the capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission, including enhanced investigative capacity, and to establish a national conflict research facility through Conciliation Resources and the Rift Valley Institute.

Horn of Africa: Development Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to African Risk Capacity Risk Pool VIII 2021-22, for what reason no person has been insured under the African Risk Capacity agreement in (a) Somalia, (b) Kenya, (c) Djibouti; and what steps he is taking to ensure that African Risk Capacity insurance can provide appropriate coverage across the Horn of Africa region.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is supporting the African Risk Capacity Group (ARC) to access rapid and predictable finance following a disaster to protect lives and livelihoods. The UK provides premium subsidies to support countries to access ARC policies. Only countries which are member states of ARC and have engaged in capacity building and have contingency plans in place are eligible to join the risk pool. It is ultimately the decision of governments whether they join ARC and are willing to contribute towards the premiums for ARC policies from their national budgets or apply for subsidies. ARC is in discussion with the Government of Somalia to join the forthcoming risk pool, if confirmed the UK will provide premium subsidies for an ARC policy in Somalia. The UK will also provide support to START Network, a consortium of Non-Governmental Organisations, to help them respond to disasters in Somalia.

Tigray: Armed Conflict

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with the governments of (a) Eritrea and (b) Ethiopia on the attack on the Tigray region launched on 20 September 2022.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has noted the resumption of conflict between the Tigray People's Liberation Front (TPLF) and the Ethiopian Government. There is no military solution to this conflict - only political negotiations can resolve it.On 22 September, the Minister for Development, Vicky Ford MP, met Ethiopian Deputy Prime Minister Demeke and discussed the impact of renewed conflict on humanitarian crisis and civilians in northern Ethiopia and reiterated calls for a truce, the restoration of humanitarian access to Tigray, and the withdrawal of Eritrean troops. I tweeted on 22 September reiterating these points. The British Embassies in Ethiopia and Eritrea are speaking regularly with their host Governments and, in the case of the Embassy in Ethiopia, the TPLF urging an end to the conflict.

Ethiopia: Human Rights

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Report of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia published on 19 September 2022, and pursuant to the findings in relation to the drone attack on Dedebit internally displaced persons camp on 7 January 2022, what representations she will make to (a) the government of Ethiopia in relation to accountability for that act and (b) the government of Turkey in relation to its arms export control regime.

Gillian Keegan: The UK co-sponsored the resolution mandating the creation of the International Commission of Human Rights Experts on Ethiopia (ICHREE). We will be strongly supporting the renewal of the Commission's mandate at the forthcoming 52nd Session of the Human Rights Council, as made clear in the statement delivered by the UK's Ambassador for Human Rights on 22 September. We are urging all parties to facilitate its investigations, for the Ethiopian Government to cooperate with the Commission, and to support the extension of its mandate at this session. The British Embassy in Ethiopia regularly raises human rights issues with the Ethiopian Government.It is for the Turkish Government to set their own export control policy. We advocate for responsible arms exports which comply with international obligations, including International Humanitarian Law and International Human Rights Law.

Developing Countries: Food Aid

Mr Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to increase the flow of UK funding to (a) Ethiopia and (b) other countries currently experiencing severe hunger crises; and if he will make a statement.

Gillian Keegan: In FY 2022/23, the UK aims to provide approximately £156 million in humanitarian aid across East Africa. Our support is providing millions of people with essential services and supplies including food, water, and healthcare.On 21 September, the Minister for Development Vicky Ford MP announced a package of assistance for Somalia, to alleviate the impact of drought and address the risk of famine. This brings the UK's total support to Somalia since 1 April 2022 to £52.8 million covering humanitarian, protection, health and nutrition support.Ministers are currently reviewing a business case for a new humanitarian and resilience building programme in Ethiopia. We will announce plans for providing further support in due course.

Platinum Jubilee Cookbook

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Platinum Jubilee Cookbook published on 28 April, how much public money was spent by his Department in relation to (i) creating, (ii) publishing, (iii) promoting, and (iv) purchasing copies of the book.

Gillian Keegan: £18,414 was spent from budgets administered centrally by FCDO Communication Directorate to purchase copies of the book to be gifted to foreign dignitaries as part of activities undertaken across the FCDO network to mark the Platinum Jubilee, and to promote UK food and drink.

East Africa: Humanitarian Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make an estimate of the proportion of total global international aid to East Africa for humanitarian relief provided by the UK (a) in 2017 and (b) to date in 2022.

Gillian Keegan: In 2017, the UK spent £528 million in humanitarian support across East Africa representing approximately 36 percent of our global humanitarian spend that year. Similar global level data for 2022 is not currently available, but will be published in 2023 in-line with normal practice. In financial year 2022/2023, the UK will provide approximately £156 million in humanitarian aid to East Africa.

Iran: Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment her Department has made of the role of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps in Iran’s regional activity.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Government regularly assesses the impact of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) continued destabilising activity throughout the region.The UK maintains a range of sanctions that work to constrain the destabilising activity of the IRGC. We also support the enforcement of UN prohibitions on the proliferation of weapons to non-state actors in the region, including to Lebanese Hizballah (UNSCR 1701) and the Houthis in Yemen (UNSCR 2216).

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in her Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those young people were (a) girls and (b) boys from state schools.

Gillian Keegan: No young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in the FCDO's UK offices in the last 12 months.The information on work experience undertaken in the FCDO's Overseas Posts is not readily available/held centrally and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Sri Lanka: Politics and Government

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what most recent assessment she has made of the political and security situation in Sri Lanka.

Gillian Keegan: We continue to closely monitor the political, economic and security situation in Sri Lanka. The economic situation remains challenging, as inflation continues to increase, and there continues to be shortages of key goods. We welcome the news that the new Government of Sri Lanka has reached staff-level agreement with the International Monetary Fund. This is a positive and important first step to help the country of Sri Lanka recover.We are in regular high level contact with the new Sri Lankan government on these issues, as well as others of mutual interest.

Israel: Conflict Resolution

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps she is taking to help mitigate conflict in Israel.

Gillian Keegan: The UK remains committed to making progress towards a two-state solution, resulting in a safe and secure Israel living alongside a viable and sovereign Palestinian State; based on 1967 borders with agreed land swaps, with Jerusalem as the shared capital of both states. The former Minister of State for Asia and the Middle East [Amanda Milling] reiterated this in a meeting on 22 June with Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Roll, and on 23 June with the Palestinian leadership, including President Shtayyeh and Foreign Minister Malki. The UK believes that negotiations will only succeed when they are conducted between Israelis and Palestinians, supported by the international community.We firmly believe a just and lasting resolution that ends the occupation and delivers peace for both Israelis and Palestinians is long overdue. We will continue to press Israel and the Palestinians strongly on the need to refrain from taking actions which make peace more difficult.

Iran: Nuclear Power

Jim Shannon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether the cessation of Iranian sponsorship of extremist Islamist groups is a UK demand in the ongoing negotiations in Vienna on the future of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action.

Gillian Keegan: We are at the end of negotiations on restoring the JCPoA. A viable deal was put on the table in March which would have returned Iran to full compliance with its JCPoA commitments and returned the US to the deal. We were clear that a return to the JCPoA could pave the way for further diplomatic efforts to address outstanding regional and security concerns. Iran has refused to seize a critical diplomatic opportunity to conclude the deal with continued demands beyond the scope of the JCPoA. If a deal is not struck the JCPoA will collapse. In this scenario we would carefully consider all options in partnership with our allies.We have long been clear about our concerns over Iran's destabilising activity throughout the region including its political, financial and military support to a number of militant groups. The former Foreign Secretary last spoke to Iranian Foreign Minister Abdollahian on 14 February 2022. They discussed a range of issues including the need for Iran to cease its destabilising activity in the region. We continue to work with our partners and allies to address and attribute this activity where it occurs.

Development Aid: Agriculture and Food Supply

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the UK Government’s Strategy for International Development published in May 2022, what programmes managed by his Department contribute to the objective to develop and scale solutions to address challenges in agriculture and the food system that cut across our development priorities through the Gilbert Initiative, BII and the UK's bilateral investments.

Vicky Ford: The FCDO addresses challenges in agriculture and food system through approaches shaped by our Conceptual Framework for Agriculture Development. These are reflected in the International Development Strategy's commitments on sustainable agriculture and food systems. Over 15 programmes in Africa and Asia aim to improve income and productivity of smallholder farmers through better access to market, finance and sustainable practices. Central and regional programmes promote innovation and business models to attract investment in agriculture across several countries, including, for example, the Commercial Agriculture for Smallholders and Agribusiness (CASA) programme and the Global Agriculture and Food Security Program (GAFSP). These help prepare the ground for investments by BII.Our Research and Development develops and scales food and agriculture technologies and generates evidence to promote climate-resilient systems. Examples include the development and scaling of new crop varieties for farmers that are nutritious, higher-yielding and resilient to climate change through the international agricultural research organisation (CGIAR); the development and rollout of affordable and technically suitable animal vaccines through Edinburgh-based GALVmed; and digital technology to provide farmers with climate and agricultural advice. The Gilbert Initiative, launched at COP 26, is a new, coordinated approach to evidence generation, technology development and delivery to support food systems.

British International Investment: Development Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the report by Transparency International entitled Investing with Integrity, published in July 2022, if he will make an assessment of progress made by British International Investment in implementing the report's recommendations on (a) publishing publicly accessible anti-bribery and anti-corruption policies, (b) the use of offshore jurisdictions in investment structures and (c) the use of corporate vehicles incorporated in offshore jurisdictions which do not meet the higher of OECD or local standards on releasing identity and beneficial ownership information.

Vicky Ford: British International Investment (BII) is committed to raising sector standards around business integrity risk management and supported Transparency International in developing the Investing with Integrity project.BII's Policy on Responsible Investing (the Policy) is aligned to international best practice - including on bribery and corruption (available on BII's website https://assets.cdcgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/14074359/Policy-on-Responsible-Investing.pdf). BII also complies with relevant anti-money laundering, bribery and corruption legislation (Policy statements available on https://assets.bii.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/22173454/Commitment-to-Anti-Bribery-and-Corruption-1-1.pdf and https://assets.bii.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/22173645/Commitment-to-Anti-Money-Laundering-and-Counter-terrorism-Financing-2.pdf).BII only uses offshore jurisdictions in circumstances of weak governance in the countries of their intended investees to protect UK taxpayer funds or to pool capital from multiple countries. The offshore jurisdictions chosen are compliant with international tax transparency standards, as monitored by the OECD. BII's tax policy is available online (https://assets.bii.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/05114116/Tax-Policy-2022.pdf).

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria: Finance

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, how much and what proportion of the funding pledged by the UK for the Global Fund Sixth Replenishment has been disbursed as on 20 September 2022.

Vicky Ford: The UK was the 2nd largest donor to the Global Fund's 6th replenishment with a pledge of up to £1.46 billion. £1.176 billion of our core contribution to the Global Fund has been disbursed as on 20 September 2022, including an additional £60 million payment to the Global Fund's COVID-19 Response Mechanism. This is approximately 80% of the UK's core contribution pledge to the Global Fund.

Developing Countries: Human Rights

Ruth Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment she has made of the effectiveness of global efforts to ensure that human rights are prioritised in the delivery of (a) Sustainable Development Goals and (b) other development priorities.

Vicky Ford: The UK is committed to working to deliver the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as set out in the International Development Strategy (IDS) and Integrated Review. The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development affirms that the SDGs "seek to realize the human rights of all", and are grounded in the principle of Leave No One Behind.The UK is committed to promoting and protecting human rights and to championing the values that underpin the SDGs. This Government has repeatedly set out UK support for the principles of human rights, freedom and the rule of law. The UK's development, security and economic partnerships with our network of allies tackle the causes of instability, conflict and human suffering, including where lack of respect for human rights forms a key driver.The IDS showcases the UK's commitment to uphold human rights. We are committed to upholding these values and championing human rights through our development work, including on climate action, women and girls, and through our new package of investment partnerships.

Seas and Oceans: Treaties

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the progress on securing a UN Ocean Treaty on maritime biodiversity at the Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement.

Vicky Ford: The fifth Intergovernmental Conference (IGC5) on a new International Legally Binding Instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) took place at the UN in New York from 15-26 August. Considerable progress was made, with the UK playing an active role in trying to build consensus across a range of issues. However, it was not possible for States to finalise the Agreement in the time available and IGC5 is likely to resume early in 2023.Lord Goldsmith was in close contact with international counterparts before and during the negotiations and further discussions are planned. The UK remains committed to securing an ambitious Agreement and fully supports negotiations resuming as soon as possible. We will continue to engage constructively and proactively to put in place a new international legal framework to ensure better protection of the health of the global ocean.

Marine Environment: Treaties

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with international counterparts on when the next Intergovernmental Conference on Marine Biodiversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction will meet.

Vicky Ford: The fifth Intergovernmental Conference (IGC5) on a new International Legally Binding Instrument under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement) took place at the UN in New York from 15-26 August. Considerable progress was made, with the UK playing an active role in trying to build consensus across a range of issues. However, it was not possible for States to finalise the Agreement in the time available and IGC5 is likely to resume early in 2023.Lord Goldsmith was in close contact with international counterparts before and during the negotiations and further discussions are planned. The UK remains committed to securing an ambitious Agreement and fully supports negotiations resuming as soon as possible. We will continue to engage constructively and proactively to put in place a new international legal framework to ensure better protection of the health of the global ocean.

Israel: West Bank

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of whether any arms exported from the UK under arms export licences have been used in reported attacks on Palestinian civilians in the West Bank in August 2022.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Government takes its defence export responsibilities extremely seriously and operates some of the most robust export controls in the world. All applications for export licences are assessed on a case-by-case basis against strict criteria. We will not issue a licence if there is a clear risk that the equipment might be used for internal repression. The UK Government continues to monitor closely the situation in Israel and the OPTs and if extant licences are found to be no longer consistent with the criteria, those licences will be revoked.

Tanzania: LGBT+ People

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to the Tanzanian Information Minister Nape Nnauye's statement on LGBT+ relationships in that country on 11 September, whether he has made an assessment of the potential risks to members of LGBT+ communities in Tanzania.

Gillian Keegan: We noted the statement made by the Tanzanian Minister for Information on 11 September. The British High Commission in Tanzania and likeminded international partners regularly engage with local organisations to understand the situation for the LGBT+ community in Tanzania. We did so following this statement. Our responses to such incidents are always informed by the perspective of the affected communities on what will best assure their safety. The UK is clear that there needs to be an end to violence and discrimination against LGBT+ people in Tanzania and around the world.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for his Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by his Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Gillian Keegan: We are aware of no recorded instances where the provision of mandatory training of staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 have been cited by the Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Republic of the Congo: Development Aid

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with his counterpart in the Republic of the Congo on (a) the Russian invasion of Ukraine, (b) food security and the impact of increases in food prices, (c) the impact of (i) Russian strategy and (ii) other factors on regional security.

Gillian Keegan: In partnership with the international community, we engage with the Government of the Republic of the Congo (RoC) on a range of issues, including food security and human rights. Our Embassy in Kinshasa, the Democratic Republic of Congo, monitors the political, economic, security and social situation in RoC on behalf of the UK Government.

Job Sikhala

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the government of Zimbabwe on the withholding of medical attention for the Zimbabwean Member of Parliament Job Sikhala, who is currently detained in prison in that country.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is monitoring the ongoing detention of opposition Member of Parliament Job Sikhala in Zimbabwe. The former Minister for Africa met the Foreign Minister of Zimbabwe on 30 June and reiterated the importance of all political parties respecting the rule of law, refraining from violence and respecting the right for all to campaign freely ahead of upcoming elections in 2023.

African Risk Capacity Group

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the Government has taken to (a) support the African Risk Capacity Group in each of the last five years and (b) help more African countries join the African risk capacity agreement.

Gillian Keegan: The African Risk Capacity Group (ARC) provides access to rapid and predictable finance following a disaster to protect lives and livelihoods. The UK provided a 20-year repayable loan of £30 million to ARC in 2014 to capitalise the risk pool. The UK has also provided £4.8 million of grants to ARC to implement capacity development and country engagement. The UK also helps countries access insurance through premium subsidies totalling £5.8 million to date, a further £3.5 million budgeted this year). The UK has also supported humanitarian actors (World Food Programme and START Network) to access their own ARC insurance policies to respond to disasters (totalling £7.9 million to date, a further £4 million budgeted for this year).

Tanzania: Food Supply

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to help support food security in Tanzania.

Gillian Keegan: In recent years Tanzania has produced a food surplus. This year, however, drought has resulted in poorer harvests and rising prices. These are being monitored by the Government of Tanzania whose National Food Reserve Agency has released supplies from the strategic reserve in order to increase supply and tackle price rises. The UK is monitoring the economic and social effects of rising prices and is supporting innovative financing instruments to catalyse investment in Tanzanian businesses critical to food security. Since November 2021, the UK has supported 25 agribusinesses to access investment totalling $3.6 million, improving local food production and indirectly supporting an estimated 9,000 farmers.

Comoros: Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent assessment he has made of the political situation in Comoros.

Gillian Keegan: The British Embassy in Antananarivo monitors the political situation in Comoros and the UK's non-resident Ambassador to Moroni last visited in April 2022. Following a National Dialogue held in February-March 2022, which the opposition did not participate in, the African Union continues to encourage consultations between government and opposition parties regarding preparations for the next presidential election, due in March 2024.

The Gambia: Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent steps he has taken to support an inclusive process for any constitutional reform in Gambia.

Gillian Keegan: The British High Commission in Banjul regularly raises good governance and democracy with the Government of The Gambia. The UK-funded International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance has facilitated peaceful and constructive dialogue between political, civil society and religious groups to help progress a stalled constitutional reform process in The Gambia and welcome President Barrow's commitment to passing a new constitution during his tenure. In association with the Commonwealth Magistrates and Judges Association, the UK also provides legislative support and judiciary training for parliamentarians to build capacity within the judiciary system.

Chad: Press Freedom

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will make representations to the authorities in Chad to investigate the alleged assault of journalist Aristide Djimaldé by police officers in that country; and what steps he is taking to help support the protection of journalists in Chad from violence and arbitrary arrest.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has long supported media freedoms, both at home and in supporting the development of a strong and independent media in countries overseas. The UK opposes all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation. We continue to use our diplomatic presence on the ground to promote freedom of expression, especially during this transition period in Chad. On 11 September 2022, the UK joined an international community statement calling on the Chadian authorities to respect public freedoms, in compliance with the principles of the rule of law.

Rwanda: Human Rights

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the Rwandan government on (a) freedom of the press, (b) freedom of expression and (c) the right to a fair trial; and what assessment he has made of that country’s treatment of journalists.

Gillian Keegan: We regularly discuss a range of issues with the Government of Rwanda through our High Commission in Kigali and at Ministerial level. The former Prime Minster met President Kagame in Kigali during the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in June and the former Minister for Africa met Foreign Minister Biruta in London on 18 May.

Sierra Leone: Press Freedom

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the degree of freedom from interference and harassment experienced by journalists and media outlets in Sierra Leone.

Gillian Keegan: The UK commends the Government of Sierra Leone for joining the Media Freedom Coalition in 2021, which advocates for media freedom and the safety of journalists. The British High Commission in Freetown regularly raises freedom of expression with the Government of Sierra Leone and other stakeholders - most recently, officials raised concerns about the potential impact of new cyber security laws on freedom of speech and emphasised the importance of upholding the principles of the coalition across all types of media. The UK Government recognises the importance of media freedom in promoting democracy and works closely with the government, civil society and wider international community to promote these values.

Sudan: Torture

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps he is taking to support Sudan in ensuring that the criminal justice system in that country conforms to Article 15 of the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; whether his Department will monitor the Sudanese authorities’ progress in ensuring evidence obtained by torture and other ill-treatment is excluded from all judicial proceedings in Sudan; and what steps he is taking to sanction those responsible for the torture of civilians in Sudan.

Gillian Keegan: The UK welcomed the good progress on political reforms made in Sudan under Prime Minister Hamdok's government, including the ratification of the UN Convention against Torture. Since the military coup on 25 October 2021, however, these gains have been put at risk. The reports of protestors being subjected to torture and ill-treatment, including as part of judicial proceedings, is extremely troubling. The FCDO have repeatedly condemned the actions of Sudan's security forces against protestors following the coup. We continue to raise this issue with the Sudanese authorities and at international fora, including the UN Human Rights Council and call for all violence against protestors to stop and for those responsible for abuses to be held accountable.

Mauritania: Freedom of Expression

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has made an assessment of the potential impact of the arrest of Moussa Sy in August 2022 on (a) freedom of the (i) press and (ii) expression and (b) anti-corruption work in Mauritania.

Gillian Keegan: We are aware of media reports on Moussa Sy. The vital role of the media in providing people with reliable and accurate information must be protected. We deplore any attempt to restrict freedom of expression including the intimidation of journalists and interference in their ability to operate freely, as well as any legislation restricting the free expression of opinion. The UK has long supported media freedoms, both at home and in supporting the development of a strong and independent media in countries overseas. The UK opposes all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation.

Sierra Leone: Civil Liberties

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether she has had discussions with her counterpart in Sierra Leone on (a) freedom of assembly, (b) freedom of expression, and (c) allegations of violence at protests in August 2022.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has a close and historic relationship with Sierra Leone. The British High Commissioner in Freetown has regular discussions with the Government of Sierra Leone and these have included the freedom of assembly, the freedom of expression and the violent protests of 10 August.

Kenya: Press Freedom

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if he will hold discussions with his Kenyan counterpart on freedom of the media in Kenya following the recent presidential elections.

Gillian Keegan: The August 2022 Presidential elections, while reflecting areas of real progress, exposed some weaknesses within the media sector in Kenya. As part of the UK's engagement on democratic reforms, open society and independence of institutions, the UK will discuss how to strengthen media freedom with the Government of Kenya once the new administration has been appointed.

Nigeria: Floods

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what support he has offered to Nigeria to assist with the consequences of large-scale flooding including (a) displacement and (b) increased food insecurity.

Gillian Keegan: The impacts of climate change in Nigeria are already visible, with many of Nigeria's states increasingly suffering from annual flooding. This is having a devastating impact on affected communities and is increasing food insecurity and displacement. The FCDO is supporting programmes to help Nigeria adapt and build resilience to such events. Between 2017 and 2022, the UK provided £425 million of humanitarian assistance which reached over 2.1 million people in North-East Nigeria, including individuals affected by flooding. Through our Expanding Social Protection for Inclusive Development programme, we are supporting more responsive and inclusive social safety nets to help people cope with events like flooding. The UK Government will also continue to encourage international partners to provide further support.

Ahmed Omar Nur

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what diplomatic steps his Department is taking to help support a credible investigation by authorities in Somalia into the shooting of journalist Ahmed Omar Nur.

Gillian Keegan: The UK welcomes the arrest of the two soldiers allegedly involved in the shooting of Ahmed Omar Nur and calls for a thorough investigation by the police. Freedom of expression is a fundamental human right and journalists must be allowed to do their jobs without fear and intimidation. The UK is defending media freedom in Somalia by supporting protection for Somali journalists, including by providing media training that focuses on improving relations between journalists and security forces. We continue to urge the new Somali Government to amend the 2020 Media Law to enable the media to report independently without risk of retribution.

Togo: Politics and Government

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 22 July to Question 37469, what support the Government has offered to the government of Togo in the past year on (a) security for communities, (b) security for communities in the north of that country and (c) avoiding civilian casualties and protecting human rights in security operations.

Gillian Keegan: The UK Government has not provided bilateral support on security to the Togolese Government in the last year. The Minister for Armed Forces visited Togo in June to understand the impact of the deteriorating situation in the Sahel on regional security and to discuss how the UK could support regional initiatives in response. We are supportive of the efforts of the African Union, Economic Community of West African States and the Accra Initiative, and at the UK-Ghana Security Dialogue in July set out our ambition to support regional partners to galvanise international support for such efforts.

Nigeria: Conflict Resolution

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, with reference to Correspondence with the Minister for Africa, Latin America and the Caribbean relating to the Government’s response to the Committee’s Report: Lagos calling: Nigeria and the Integrated Review dated 25/07/2022 and 12/07/2022, published by the Foreign Affairs Select Committee on 7 September 2022, what plans his Department has to engage the Nigerian diaspora in the UK in conversations about peacebuilding and security initiatives in Nigeria in autumn (a) 2022 and (b) 2023.

Gillian Keegan: Given the dynamic and localised nature of Nigeria's security situation, FCDO focuses its outreach on peacebuilding and security initiatives on Nigerians who live in Nigeria and have first-hand, current experience of the complex and nuanced situation on the ground. We prioritise bringing direct participants in the peacebuilding process to the table, to help bring a swifter resolution to the conflicts affecting their communities.FCDO officials also engage diaspora involved in peacebuilding in Nigeria, and value and learn from their knowledge of the political and security landscape of the country. Officials also regularly respond to correspondence from members of the diaspora. This routine engagement will continue, and we are considering options for widening our outreach in the UK in Autumn 2022 and 2023.

Ethiopia: Internally Displaced People

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what discussions he has had with his Ethiopian counterpart on the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's statement on detention for displaced civilians from Tigray and Amhara states at (a) Awash seven federal police training centre, (b) Jarre camp in North Wollo, Amhara and (c) Jarra camp in North Wollo, Amhara; and what assessment he has made of humanitarian conditions in these camps.

Gillian Keegan: Our British Embassy in Addis Ababa monitors the situation of Internally Displaced Persons in coordination with human rights and humanitarian partners, including through visits to affected regions. We have raised the issue regarding conditions for people in sites for Internally Displaced Persons in Ethiopia with the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission.Since November 2020, the UK has contributed over £75 million to the humanitarian response in northern Ethiopia, supporting UN and NGO partners to deliver life-saving assistance. This has included cash assistance, shelter and household supplies, and legal advice for Internally Displaced Persons.

Bangladesh: Rohingya

Sarah Champion: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what steps the UK is taking to increase humanitarian support for the Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh.

Gillian Keegan: The UK is committed to supporting the Government of Bangladesh with the Rohingya response. We have been a leading donor in Bangladesh, having contributed £340 million to the crisis since 2017. Our support continues to provide food, water, sanitation, shelter, healthcare and protection services to Rohingya refugees and vulnerable host communities.

Ethiopia: Press Freedom

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what recent discussions he has had with the government of Ethiopia on press freedom in Ethiopia in the context of the continued arrests of journalists in that country.

Gillian Keegan: The UK has long supported media freedoms, both at home and in supporting the development of a strong and independent media in countries overseas. The UK opposes all attempts by any state to restrict press freedom, silence debate, abuse journalists, or spread misinformation.The UK has consistently called for an end to infringements on media freedom - journalists must have the right to report freely.The former Minister for Africa raised the issue of large-scale detentions in Ethiopia with Minister for Justice Gedion on 20 January, and subsequently wrote to him regarding arrests of journalists and the recent expulsion of a British journalist. The British Embassy in Addis Ababa tweeted on 18 May urging the Government of Ethiopia to protect and uphold media freedom. The UK funds a number of programmes that aim to build the capacity of the media in Ethiopia, including PRIMED, which is delivered by a consortium led by BBC Media Action. Ethiopia is the lead country for the FCDO's Media Freedom Chevening Fellowship and the UK is a member of the Media Freedom Coalition for Ethiopia.

Egypt: Climate Change Convention

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, whether he has had recent discussions with his Egyptian counterpart on freedom of (a) assembly, (b) association and (c) expression for (i) civil society activists, (ii) journalists and (iii) other people in the context of COP27.

Gillian Keegan: Egypt is a human rights priority country for the UK and we regularly raise concerns with the Egyptian authorities, both in private and public. The former Prime Minister did so during his call with President Sisi on 25 August. Also, both Lord Ahmad and the then Foreign Secretary raised human rights with Foreign Minister Shoukry during his visit to London in July. The UK COP Presidency continues to work closely with the Egyptian authorities regarding COP27, urging them to ensure an inclusive summit, where civil society, youth, and independent media can participate freely.

Ministry of Defence

Military Bases: Sales

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 13 September 2022 to Question  47358 on Military Bases: Sales, whether as part of the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio his Department sells land on the defence estate for its market value.

Alec Shelbrooke: All Defence Estate Optimisation disposals have been sold at market value in accordance with Government and HM Treasury guidance on the management of public money.

Military Bases

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what were the projected savings forecast in 2016 for the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio for each year until completion.

Alec Shelbrooke: The projected savings forecast in 2016 related to the Strategic Business Case behind the Footprint Strategy, rather than the Defence Estate Optimisation Portfolio.

Hercules Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what the expected out-of-service date is for Hercules C-130J aircraft.

Alec Shelbrooke: The RAF's fleet of Hercules C-130J aircraft is due to go out of service in 2023.

A400M Aircraft

Mr Kevan Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, how he has measured the (a) level of availability and (b) reliability of the Royal Air Force A400M fleet over the last 12 months.

Alec Shelbrooke: The RAF measures availability by the number of aircraft held within the Forward Available Fleet. Reliability is measured by the Mean Time between Unscheduled Removal.

RAF Brize Norton: Weather

John Healey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, pursuant to the Answer of 15 September 2022 to Question 49062 on Air Force: Military Bases, how many times the use of RAF Brize Norton's runway has been temporarily suspended as a result of extreme heat since 2010.

Alec Shelbrooke: Information about the temporary suspension of the use of RAF Brize Norton runways as a result of extreme heat will take time to collate due to the need to check historical records manually. I will write to him when the information is available, and a copy of my letter will be placed in the Library of the House.

Department for Work and Pensions

Cost of Living Payments: Dunfermline and West Fife

Douglas Chapman: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people in Dunfermline and West Fife did not receive the first cost-of-living benefit instalment due to them receiving a nil award during the relevant universal credit assessment period.

Victoria Prentis: Between the 14 and 20 July, the department processed over 7.2m cost of living payments worth around £2.4 billion. In total, over eight million families will be eligible for this payment, with around one million eligible because they receive tax credits and no other eligible benefits. These families will receive their first instalment from HMRC in the autumn, and the second instalment in the winter. Further information is available at: 7.2 million Cost of Living payments made to low-income families - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) and at: Cost of Living Payment - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk). Universal Credit households can receive a nil award for various reasons. The majority of nil awards are due to household earnings. Other reasons that can cause or contribute to a nil award include; capital, other income, other benefits, sanctions and fraud penalties. There were 800 households containing 1,000 claimants in Dunfermline and West Fife who have not received the first Cost of Living Payment due to a nil award. Notes:1. Figures have been rounded to the nearest hundred.2. Great Britain level figures have been provided.3. Nil awards have been defined as households that received a £0 Universal Credit payment and had no deductions for advance repayments, third party debts or government debts and had no money paid directly to their landlord by Universal Credit.4. Figures are provisional and are subject to retrospective change as later data becomes available.5. The methodology used is different to those used to derive the Official Statistics Household series and therefore, figures may not be comparable.6. The methodology and data source may be slightly different to those used to derive entitlement to the Cost-of-Living Payment.

Members: Correspondence

Anne McLaughlin: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she plans to respond to the letter from the hon. Member for Glasgow North East, dated 30 June 2022, on Pension Credit and the £650 Cost of Living Payment.

Alex Burghart: I replied to the hon. Member on 29 September.

Social Security Benefits: Disqualification

Jonathan Ashworth: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, with reference to her Department's response on 11 February 2019 to the Work and Pensions Committee's 2018 report on Benefit Sanctions, for what reason her Department has not granted researchers at the University of Glasgow access to data on Universal Credit claims and sanctions histories for Scottish Universal Credit claimants to support their study into the health impacts of benefit sanctions; and if she will take steps to make that data available to those researchers in a timely manner.

Victoria Prentis: The Department has taken the decision not to proceed with this data sharing project and has communicated this with the University.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, when she will reply to my correspondence of 8 June and 22 August 2022 from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of constituent Mr Gray.

Victoria Prentis: This correspondence was replied to by the department on 26 August 2022.

Department for Work and Pensions: Civil Servants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many people were employed by her Department at each civil service grade in (a) Scotland and (b) the UK in the financial years (i) 2018-19, (ii) 2019-20 and (iii) 2020–21; and what the average salary at each civil service grade was for those employed (a) full-time and (b) part-time in each of those regions for each of those years.

Victoria Prentis: All staff in UK2018-192019-202020-21HeadcountAverage SalaryHeadcountAverage SalaryHeadcountAverage SalaryFull time54,526£25,02550,558£26,05162,467£28,537A/AA211£18,245201£19,080146£20,410B/AO18,520£18,32816,480£18,53217,518£21,330C/EO25,113£25,27823,484£26,11033,962£28,266D/HEO5,905£30,0455,499£31,0285,630£33,576E/SEO2,302£33,6622,287£35,2902,457£37,894F/G71,604£47,1051,687£48,9541,791£52,760G/G6649£58,652703£61,384727£66,323SCS222£80,599217£81,203236£89,722Part time35,784£32,77135,921£33,84434,897£36,970A/AA244£26,871240£28,100170£30,440B/AO16,359£27,58115,980£28,21414,216£30,968C/EO16,181£35,46416,574£36,46917,396£39,032D/HEO1,980£39,1562,014£40,8122,003£44,113E/SEO567£44,484613£46,301607£51,364F/G7319£64,208342£66,089351£71,790G/G6106£82,589131£83,253124£89,786SCS28£83,88327£106,74030£108,552Total90,310£27,47986,479£28,65197,364£30,912   Scotland Staff2018-192019-202020-21HeadcountAverage SalaryHeadcountAverage SalaryHeadcountAverage SalaryFull time5,874£22,2995,292£23,0985,730£25,703A/AA10£18,5929£19,4358£20,147B/AO2,594£17,9352,297£18,3322,212£20,859C/EO2,631£24,4732,404£25,3782,953£27,489D/HEO469£28,911426£29,655410£32,641E/SEO105£29,45497£34,23291£36,521F/G746£43,30140£47,13041£49,725G/G613£59,23714£47,66710£61,966SCS6£78,9005£87,4295£87,279Part time3,881£31,0383,887£31,8573,654£35,132A/AA13£25,32613£24,75710£27,150B/AO2,017£26,5351,989£27,2311,799£30,116C/EO1,666£35,1441,701£35,7441,675£39,027D/HEO149£39,041143£42,450133£46,753E/SEO25£45,94830£47,49529£51,937F/G78£68,9569£65,4516£75,359G/G63£63,3532£85,7432£87,887Total9,755£25,0649,179£26,0709,384£28,594  Staffing figure includes all staff during each year, both Paid & unpaid, and all leavers.Full time staff are all those with an FTE of 1.0, Part time staff are all those with less than 1.0 FTE.The average salaries are derived from the actual salaries held.

Maternity Pay: Cost of Living

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to increase the rate of statutory maternity pay in the context of recent trends in the cost of living.

Victoria Prentis: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has a statutory obligation to review Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), benefits including Maternity Allowance, and pensions annually. The review will commence shortly, and her decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way later this year. Any new rates of benefits / pensions will become payable from April 2023. From April 2022 the standard rate of SMP increased to £156.66, in line with the September 2021 CPI rate of 3.1%. The Government has no plans to increase the standard rate of SMP outside of the annual review.

Maternity Allowance and Maternity Pay

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential merits of temporarily increasing the rate of (a) statutory maternity pay and (b) maternity allowance.

Victoria Prentis: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has a statutory obligation to review Statutory Maternity Pay, benefits including Maternity Allowance, and pensions annually. The review will commence shortly, and her decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way later this year. Any new rates of benefits/pensions will become payable from April 2023. There are no plans to make a temporary increase to the rate of Statutory Maternity Pay or Maternity Allowance.

Department for Work and Pensions: Training

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, on how many occasions the provision of mandatory training for her Departmental staff regarding their obligations under the Equality Act 2010 has been cited by her Department as a defence against Section 109 proceedings since the commencement of that Act.

Victoria Prentis: The Department does not hold this information centrally and to provide it would incur disproportionate costs.

Mothers and Pregnancy: Cost of Living

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what steps she is taking to help support (a) heavily pregnant women and (b) new mothers on statutory maternity pay with increases in cost of living.

Victoria Prentis: Maternity Allowance (MA) is available to eligible pregnant women and new mothers who cannot get Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), such as the low paid and the self-employed. The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions has a statutory obligation to review SMP, benefits including MA, and pensions annually. The review will commence shortly, and her decisions will be announced to Parliament in the normal way later this year. Any new rates of benefits / pensions will become payable from April 2023. More broadly, the government understands the pressures people are facing with the cost of living and has taken further decisive action to support people with their energy bills ahead of Winter 2022. The new “Energy Price Guarantee” will mean a typical UK household will now pay up to an average £2,500 a year on their energy bill for the next two years from 1 October, saving the average household in Great Britain at least £1,000 a year based on current energy prices from October. This is in addition to the over £37bn of cost-of-living support announced earlier this year which includes the £400 non-repayable discount to eligible households provided through the Energy Bills Support Scheme.

Department for Work and Pensions: Work Experience

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, how many young people aged eighteen or younger have undertaken work experience in her Department in the last 12 months; and what proportion of those young people were (a) girls and (b) boys from state schools.

Victoria Prentis: We are unable to answer this question on the grounds of disproportionate cost. Offices around the country work with local schools to offer work experience whilst young people are still in education. Movement to work is offered across the country for young people who are no longer in education and are claiming DWP benefits.

Cost of Living Payments: Telephone Services

Martyn Day: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, if she will make it her policy to establish a telephone helpline for people overdue cost of living payments.

Victoria Prentis: We are currently managing telephone contact within our existing telephony networks and have no future plans to introduce a telephone helpline for the cost of living payments

Social Security Benefits: Overpayments

Jonathan Edwards: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what her Department's policy is on keeping records for applications for benefits and making them available to those seeking to challenge claims by the Department for overpayments.

Victoria Prentis: DWP’s retention policy is detailed within the DWP Information Management Policy and details on how a customer can access their records are detailed within the DWP Personal Information Charter. Both of these documents are publicly available on the GOV.UK website and can be found in the following links; DWP information management policy - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) Personal information charter - Department for Work and Pensions - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Dogs: Imports

Kenny MacAskill: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 5 September 2022 to Question 40929 on Dogs: Imports, if he will publish a breakdown of the countries of origin of the dogs commercially imported into the UK from abroad in (a) 2020, (b) 2021 and (c) 2022.

Scott Mann: Below are tables to show the countries of origin of commercial dog imports. The data for 2020 is for the UK, while the data for 2021 and 2022 (up to 31 August 2022) is for Great Britain only. We do not hold data for Northern Ireland for 2021 and 2022. This information is drawn from external TRACES and IPAFF systems not directly controlled by the department. Country Of Origin from EU 2020Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2020AustriaAntigua and BarbudaBelgiumArgentinaBulgariaAustraliaCroatiaBahrainCyprusBarbadosCzech RepublicBelarusDenmarkBermudaEstoniaBosnia and HerzegovinaFinlandBrazilFranceCanadaGermanyCayman IslandsGreeceColombiaHungaryCosta RicaIreland (Rep. of)EgyptItalyEthiopiaLatviaFrench PolynesiaLithuaniaHong KongMaltaIndiaNetherlandsIndonesiaPolandIsraelPortugalJapanRomaniaJordanSlovakiaKenyaSloveniaKorea (South)SpainKuwaitSwedenLebanonSwitzerlandMacao Macedonia Malawi Malaysia Mauritius Mexico Namibia New Zealand Nigeria Oman Peru Philippines Qatar Russia Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore South Africa Sri Lanka Taiwan Tajikistan Thailand Turkey Turks and Caicos UAE Uganda Ukraine Uruguay USA Vietnam Zimbabwe Country Of Origin from EU 2021Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2021AustriaArgentinaBelgiumAustraliaBulgariaBahamasCroatiaBahrainCyprusBarbadosCzechiaBelarusDenmarkBermudaEstoniaBrazilFinlandCanadaFranceCayman IslandsGermanyChinaGreeceColombiaHungaryCosta RicaIcelandEcuadorItalyEgyptLatviaEthiopiaLithuaniaGuamLuxembourgHong KongMaltaIndiaNetherlandsIndonesiaNorthern IrelandIsraelNorwayJamaicaPolandJapanPortugalJordanRepublic of IrelandKenyaRomaniaKuwaitSlovakiaLebanonSloveniaMacaoSpainMalawiSwedenMalaysiaSwitzerlandMauritius Mexico Mozambique Namibia Nepal New Zealand Nigeria Oman Panama Peru Philippines Qatar Russian Federation Saudi Arabia Serbia Singapore South Africa South Korea Taiwan Thailand Turkey Ukraine United Arab Emirates United States of America Viet Nam Zimbabwe Country Of Origin from EU 2022Country Of Origin from Rest of World 2022AustriaAlbaniaBelgiumAlgeriaBulgariaAustraliaCroatiaBahrainCyprusBarbadosCzech RepublicBermudaDenmarkBrazilEstoniaBruneiFinlandCanadaFranceCayman IslandsGermanyChileGreeceChinaHungaryColombiaIsle of ManCosta RicaIreland (Rep. of)Dominican RepublicItalyEcuadorLatviaEgyptLithuaniaFijiLuxembourgHong KongNetherlandsIndiaNorthern IrelandIndonesiaNorwayIsraelPolandJapanPortugalJordanRomaniaKenyaSlovakiaKorea (South)SloveniaKuwaitSpainLebanonSwedenMalaysiaSwitzerlandMauritius Mexico Namibia New Zealand Nigeria Oman Panama Peru Philippines Qatar Russia Saint Lucia Saudi Arabia Singapore South Africa Sri Lanka Taiwan Thailand Turkey UAE Uganda Ukraine USA Vietnam Zimbabwe

Dangerous Dogs

Yasmin Qureshi: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps the Government is taking to reduce the number of dog attacks.

Scott Mann: We recognise that dog attacks can have horrific consequences, and we take this issue very seriously. In December 2021, Defra published research in collaboration with Middlesex University investigating measures to reduce dog attacks and promote responsible dog ownership across all breeds of dog. The research considers the effectiveness of current dog control measures and makes several recommendations. These relate to consistency in enforcement practice and greater use of preventative enforcement models, improved knowledge and awareness of appropriate behaviour around dogs, strengthened accreditation of dog trainers, and improved data recording and collection. In response to this research, Defra has established a Responsible Dog Ownership working group involving police, local authorities and animal welfare organisations. This is actively developing reforms in relation to each of the four main strands of the Middlesex report. Conclusions and policy reform recommendations are expected next year. These should address all aspects of tackling irresponsible dog ownership effectively, from prevention to robust, consistent enforcement, focussing on owners as well as on their dogs. This summer Defra has also worked with stakeholders to launch a dog safety communications campaign to promote safe interactions between children and dogs. As part of this we have supported the Canine and Feline Sector Group to disseminate their Dog Safety Code, which incorporates key advice and resources to equip parents and children with the knowledge they need to enjoy spending time with dogs safely.

Dogs: Smuggling

Deidre Brock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to tackle the puppy smuggling industry; and if he will make a statement.

Scott Mann: HM Government has a manifesto commitment to crack down on puppy smuggling and the low welfare import of pets. The Animal Welfare (Kept Animals) Bill was reintroduced to the House of Commons following the Queen's Speech in May 2022 and will progress to Report stage as soon as parliamentary time allows. The Bill allows us to further protect the welfare of pets by introducing restrictions to crack down on the low welfare movements of pets into the United Kingdom and includes powers to introduce new restrictions on pet travel and the commercial import of pets on welfare grounds, via secondary legislation.

Hare Coursing

Julian Knight: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what recent steps his Department has taken to tackle hare coursing.

Scott Mann: Measures to address hare coursing were included in the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act that gained Royal Assent on 29th April this year. Hare coursing causes considerable distress to farmers, landowners and rural communities, in addition to the suffering it causes animals.Our new legislation introduces two new criminal offences relating to activity connected with hare coursing and increases the powers of the courts to deal with offenders upon conviction. We have significantly increased the maximum penalties available upon conviction for offences under the existing and new legislation including, for the first time, the possibility of custodial sentences.These measures came into force on 1st August this year.

Foie Gras: Imports

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 25 May 2022 to Question 3523 on Foie Gras: Imports, if he will publish a list of interested parties his Department has (a) held meetings with and on which dates and (b) received written representation from regarding legislative proposals on banning the import of foie gras as set out in his Department’s Action Plan for Animal Welfare.

Scott Mann: Policy officials have met with businesses, industry representatives and welfare groups to better understand the issues regarding force-fed foie gras and to gather views from all interested parties.

Deposit Return Schemes

Jeff Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, when the Government will respond to the further consultation on the introduction of a deposit return scheme in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, which closed in June 2021.

Trudy Harrison: Further details on when a Deposit Return Scheme will be introduced will be set out in the Government response to last year's consultation. We are working towards publication in late 2022.

Avian Influenza: Disease Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether a task force has been established for the purpose of coordinating a response to the spread of highly pathogenic avian influenza.

Scott Mann: Unprecedented outbreaks of avian influenza continue to be seen in both the UK and Europe as well as North America in both kept and wild birds. We recognise the significant threat highly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is posing to wild birds, and in particular our seabird populations and it is deeply saddening to see the impact this is having on these important species. On the 31 August 2022 Defra together with Welsh Government published the Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales. This Strategy set out practical guidance to support land managers, the public and ornithological and environmental organisations in their response to the growing threat of avian influenza to wild birds, working alongside government action to monitor the disease. The Strategy sets out how these groups, together with the government and its delivery partners, can mitigate the impact of avian influenza on wild bird populations whilst protecting public health, the wider environment and the rural economy. The Mitigation Strategy for Avian Influenza in Wild Birds in England and Wales supports the Notifiable Avian Disease Control Strategy for Great Britain, and is based on the latest scientific, veterinary and ornithological advice and is in line with international best practice. In addition to existing stakeholder engagement forums addressing the latest situation and disease prevention, mitigation and control measures with regard to the avian influenza. Defra and the Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC), in conjunction with the devolved administrations will also be working with key experts to assess what further conservation actions conservation actions and monitoring can be implemented to protect vulnerable species and help populations recover.

Dogs: Animal Welfare

Beth Winter: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether the Responsible Dog Ownership project has reached interim recommendations ahead of its expected conclusion in 2023.

Scott Mann: The Responsible Dog Ownership (RDO) project is ongoing, with conclusions and policy reform recommendations expected next year. The RDO four project subgroups are due to continue meeting throughout the autumn and winter, giving us time to examine each of the Middlesex recommendations in detail. We do not anticipate producing an interim report prior to the conclusion of the project next year. We expect that the recommendations will address all aspects of tackling irresponsible dog ownership effectively, from prevention to robust, consistent enforcement, focusing on owners as well as on their dogs. Following proactive engagement with stakeholders as part of the RDO project, this summer Defra worked with animal welfare organisations, the police, local authorities and the devolved administrations to launch a dog safety communications campaign. As part of this, we supported the Canine and Feline Sector Group to develop and disseminate their Dog Safety Code, which incorporates key advice and resources to equip parents and children with the knowledge they need to enjoy spending time with dogs safely.

Pets: Romania

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, if he will (a) reconsider the ban on the commercial import of dogs, cats and ferrets from Romania, and (b) enable imports from agencies that diligently adhere to regulations and public health responsibilities.

Scott Mann: HM Government has made the difficult decision to extend the temporary suspension of commercial cats, dogs, and ferrets (including rescue animals) dispatched or originating from Ukraine, Belarus, Romania, and Poland for a further eight weeks to the 29th October 2022.We continue to engage with competent authorities in impacted countries, the European Commission, and external partners (including rescue and rehoming charities based here and abroad, veterinary experts and carriers) to gather data and information to enable us to keep the biosecurity risks to Great Britain under review. The measure is under constant review based on the evidence provided and discussion with external partners to ensure it is proportionate to the risks posed.HM Government appreciates the work of rescue and rehoming organisations who work to ensure that unwanted and abandoned animals are given the opportunity to find a forever home whilst complying with our animal health and welfare legislation.This is a temporary measure, to ensure that we protect our biosecurity at this challenging time. Given the consequences of getting this wrong, I hope you will understand why we are being cautious.

Fish: Animal Welfare

Munira Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether his Department is taking steps to improve animal welfare protections for fish at the time of slaughter.

Scott Mann: I refer the hon. Member to the reply previously given to the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood, Cat Smith, on 5 September 2022, PQ UIN 40832.

Horticulture: Imports

Selaine Saxby: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that UK (a) garden centres and (b) tree and plant growers are able to trade effectively once the Border Control regime is implemented.

Scott Mann: In April 2022, HM Government announced that it was accelerating its transformative programme to digitise Britain’s borders, harnessing new technologies and data to reduce friction and costs for businesses and consumers, while maintaining and enhancing our high standards of biosecurity. A Target Operating Model will be published later this year which will set out how and when we will introduce this improved global regime of border controls. It will aim to create a seamless new ‘digital’ border, where technologies and real-time data will cut queues and smooth trade. This new approach will ensure that controls for plants and plant products are implemented in a way which removes friction for businesses while safeguarding our national biosecurity. In developing the Target Operating Model, Defra officials are engaging extensively with businesses and trade bodies, including those representing the horticulture sector, to deliver the best possible user experience for those involved with border processes.

Trapping

Derek Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with reference to his Action Plan for Animal Welfare, when he will be launching a call for evidence on the use of snares.

Scott Mann: Snares can cause immense suffering to both target and non-target animals, and it is an issue we are looking at closely as part of our continued drive to maintain the highest animal welfare standards in the world. Through our Animal Action for Welfare Plan, published in May 2021, we are looking at whether changes need to be made to reflect concerns raised. The call for evidence on the use of snares will be launched in due course. This is planned to run for 12 weeks and will be launched online. After closing the call for evidence, responses will be analysed, and a summary of responses will be published online.

Game: Birds

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2022 to Question HL7651, if he will provide further details of the call for evidence on gamebird welfare including (a) expected date of commencement, (b) expected duration and (c) whether it will be open to the public.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, pursuant to the Answer of 20 April 2022 to Question HL7651, if he will publish details of (a) how he expects the Animal Welfare Committee’s work to feed into the consultation on the welfare of game birds and (b) the expected duration of that part of the process.

Dr Rupa Huq: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, for what reason the 2010 Study to determine whether cage-based breeding can meet the needs of game birds, and if not, to identify best practice - AW1303 did not include an objective of assessing whether cage-based breeding could meet the welfare needs of game birds; and if he will make such an assessment.

Scott Mann: Timing of the call for evidence is still to be determined and needs to be considered in light of the challenges the gamebird sector is currently facing, not least the ongoing Avian Influenza outbreak.Responses to a public call for evidence would help to inform a review on gamebird welfare by the expert Animal Welfare Committee, whose recommendations may then form the basis of a public consultation on any proposed reforms. The timeframe of these stages could only be considered once the outcome of the call for evidence was known.The Defra study AW1303 was commissioned under a previous administration in 2010. Details of the study, including its objectives, are available at: Defra Science AW1303 game birds

Animal Welfare: Electric Shock

Greg Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the welfare implications for dogs which (a) touch a livestock fence delivering 15,000 mJ of electricity and (b) are startled with an electronic collar delivering 5 mJ of electricity.

Scott Mann: Defra’s "Action Plan for Animal Welfare" demonstrates our commitment to a brighter future for animals both at home and abroad. Electric fences used to deter animals from crossing a boundary and which deliver a shock directly to the body are different to e-collars. The use of electric fences in agricultural settings is subject to statutory guidance which requires anyone installing an electric fence to ensure that it is designed, constructed, used and maintained properly, so that when the animals touch it they only feel slight discomfort. Installers and users should also comply with any relevant local regulations and ensure that their responsibilities under other relevant legislation, including the Health & Safety At Work Act 1974, are properly discharged. Animals are protected from suffering as a result of poorly maintained or installed electric fences by animal welfare laws, including the Animal Welfare Act 2006. Under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 it is an offence to cause an animal unnecessary suffering. Anyone who is cruel to an animal may face an unlimited fine or be sent to prison for up to five years, or both. The Defra commissioned research into the effects of e-collars was robust and showed that e-collars have a negative impact on the welfare of some dogs. The research showed that many users of the handheld devices were not using them properly in compliance with the manufacturers’ instructions. As well as being misused to inflict unnecessary harm, there is also concern that e-collars can redirect aggression or generate anxiety-based behaviour in pets, making underlying behavioural and health problems worse.

Biodiversity

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what progress his Department has made in protecting against biodiversity loss; and what steps he plans to take to encourage global partners to take steps to reverse biodiversity loss.

Trudy Harrison: Alongside our world-leading Environment act, which introduces ambitious measures to address the biggest environmental priorities of our age, the 25 Year Environment Plan set out clear goals for habitats and species in England. To help meet these ambitions, in the last year we have created a new Somerset Wetlands super National Nature Reserve that will protect 6,140 hectares of precious habitats, completed the Back from the Brink programme with 96 priority species moving towards recovery and launched 5 more landscape-scale nature recovery projects, including the G7 Nature Recovery Legacy Project in Cornwall. The United Kingdom works across a number of geographies and partners to support global ambition. For instance, the United Kingdom is committed to playing a leading role in developing an ambitious post-2020 global biodiversity framework to be adopted at COP15 of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Montreal during December this year. The United Kingdom will be advocating for ambitious global targets to halt and reverse biodiversity loss globally by 2030. This includes targets to ensure at least 30% of the land and of the ocean is protected, ecosystems are restored, species population sizes are recovering, and extinctions are halted by 2050. The United Kingdom is calling for this ambitious set of targets to be supported by increased finance for nature from all sources (public and private) and at all levels (domestic and international), and for strengthened reporting and review mechanisms to facilitate the achievement of targets and hold Parties to account to their commitments.

Insects: Conservation

Fleur Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment the Government has made of the potential impact of LED streetlights on trends in the level of insect populations.

Trudy Harrison: Defra has funded or co-funded national and international assessments of drivers of change on insects and wider biodiversity such as the global IPBES Assessment Report on Pollinators, Pollination and Food Production. This report notes the effects of artificial light in general on nocturnal insects may be growing. HM Government has not made any assessment of the impacts of LED streetlights or changes in spectrum on insect population trends. We will continue to work closely with researchers, NGOs and across HM Government to improve our understanding of the impacts of light pollution, from LEDs or otherwise. HM Government is taking action to ensure that light pollution is managed for wildlife and for people, through controls in the planning system, the statutory nuisance regime and improvements in street lighting. The National Planning Policy Framework is clear that policies and decisions should limit the impact of light pollution on local amenity, dark landscapes and nature conservation. Protecting insects is a priority, and we are taking action to support them and the wider natural environment of which they are a vital component. Our commitment to setting a legally binding target to halt the decline in species abundance by 2030, underlines our ambition.

Home Office

Refugees: Afghanistan

Stephen Farry: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, pursuant to the Answer of 20 September 2022 to Question 46210, what steps her Department must complete between UNHCR referral under Pathway 2 of the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and the arrival of such refugees in the UK.

Tom Pursglove: We launched ACRS Pathway 2 in January and anticipate referrals of up to 2,000 refugees from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) during its first year. The steps between the Home Office receiving a referral for resettlement under Pathway 2 of the ACRS from the UNHCR, and a refugee’s arrival in the UK, follow the same well established process as those for referrals to the UK Resettlement Scheme: Referrals from the UNHCR are reviewed by the Home Office, who determine whether the case should be accepted for resettlement to the UK. Officials will assess eligibility through a case working process and by commissioning screening and security checks. Officials will also consider individual circumstances, such as medical and safeguarding needs. If a referral is accepted for resettlement by the Home Office, it will notify the UNHCR who, in turn, will inform the individual. From there, it is vital that those resettling in the UK have somewhere suitable to stay upon arrival. An offer of resettlement under Pathway 2 of the ACRS is, therefore, provisional on suitable accommodation becoming available, and refugees will not travel to the UK until this is in place.

Money Laundering: Russia

Sir Mike Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s Combating Kleptocracy Cell on combating sanctions evasion and the hiding of Russian assets in the UK, Crown Dependencies and British Overseas Territories; and if she will make a statement.

Tom Tugendhat: The National Crime Agency’s Combatting Kleptocracy Cell (CKC) has been tasked with investigating criminal sanctions evasion and high-end money laundering, including by individuals in the UK who are linked to the Russian regime.The Home Office and the National Crime Agency work closely together and the effectiveness of the Combatting Kleptocracy Cell is closely monitored by both. For reasons of operational security we are not able to provide further details publicly.The NCA’s work forms one part of a cross-government effort to tackle illicit finance. As part of this, the UK government has strong engagement with the Crown Dependencies and the Overseas Territories to combat sanctions evasion. This wider work is subject to regular Parliamentary scrutiny.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Change of Use

Cherilyn Mackrory: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, whether his Department is taking steps to ensure that change of use planning permission is required for properties changing from a residential to holiday let status.

Lee Rowley: The recent call for evidence on a tourist accommodation registration scheme by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport sought views on a range of issues, including the impacts of the increase in short-term and holiday lettings. This closed on 21 September and further announcements will be made in due course. In the meantime we will keep the planning status of such properties under review.

Social Rented Housing: Regulation

Preet Kaur Gill: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, how many notifications the Regulator for Social Housing has received of a change of status from registered providers that have been (a) taken over, (b) merged and (c) changed their constitution in each of the last five years.

Andrew Stephenson: Since 6 April 2017, not for profit registered providers have been required to notify the regulator when they are undergoing particular constitutional events which may be considered a merger, take over or constitutional changes. Those notification requirements are set out in the Housing and Regeneration Act 2008 (as amended) and can be found in the direction about notification of constitutional changes and associated guidance.Whilst there are other forms of merger, takeover or constitutional changes that may occur, the direction and guidance set out those that are required to be notified to the regulator. The table below shows the numbers of notifications the Regulator has received from not for profit registered providers that have been taken over, merged and changed their constitution in the last five years, in line with the direction. Number of notifications receivedCalendar yearTransfer of Engagement *Amalgamation *Conversion from a registered society to a company or vice versaRule change relating toBecoming / ceasing to be a subsidiaryA possible change in designationA change in charitable status20171151050420182291510132019143810112020101117012021220711112022 up to 21/9303601*Notifications of transfer of engagements and amalgamations can involve more than one registered provider.

Levelling Up Fund

Imran Hussain: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, when he will announce the successful bids for the second round of levelling up funding.

Dehenna Davison: Levelling Up and driving growth across the UK is a key priority of this Government.All bids are currently being assessed in line with our published guidance. We will announce successful bids for round two of the Fund later this autumn.

Treasury

Fuel Oil: Prices

David Warburton: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether he will include any provision in the forthcoming fiscal statement for support for households with the rising cost of domestic heating oil.

Felicity Buchan: Households who are connected to the electricity network but who use fuels other than gas, such as heating oil, to heat their homes will still receive support through the Energy Price Guarantee for their electricity costs, as well as the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme. Where households are not able to receive support for their heating costs through the Energy Price Guarantee, the Government will provide an additional payment of £100 to compensate for the rising costs of other fuels such as heating oil, where despite significant increases, prices have risen at a lower rate than wholesale natural gas.

Members: Correspondence

John Penrose: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, when he will reply to the correspondence of 13 April and 13 May from the hon. Member for Weston-super-Mare on behalf of constituent David Blackhurst on Vehicle Exercise Duty.

Felicity Buchan: A response to the Honourable Member for Weston-super-Mare’s letters of 13 April and 13 May regarding his constituent David Blackhurst was sent on 17 June a further copy has been sent by email.

Public Expenditure

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what the underspend in each financial year in the total budget of Departments was as a percentage of the total Government budget; and what the equivalent figures are for the Scottish DEL for each year for which figures are available since 2010.

Chris Philp: Analysis of DEL underspends since 2010 are provided below for total central government (departments and devolved administrations) and for the Scottish government only. Note that these underspends represent the funding that departments return to the Exchequer after accounting for carry forward under Budget Exchange rules (as departmental Budget Exchange carry forward is processed at Supplementary Estimates based on forecasts), whereas the figures for the Scottish Government are before carry forward as this is processed for the devolved administrations using outturn information. The figures are not therefore directly comparable. Data for this analysis are taken from recent editions of the Public Expenditure Statistical Analyses (PESA) command paper using tables in chapter three.  *RDELCDEL Total Government Underspend as % final provisionScottish Government underspend as % final provisionTotal Government Underspend as % final provisionScottish Government underspend as % final provision2010-11-1.1%-0.4%-2.4%-0.1%2011-12-1.7%-0.5%-3.8%-1.1%2012-13-1.6%-0.6%-4.4%-1.0%2013-14-0.7%-0.6%-2.5%-1.1%2014-15-0.6%-0.6%-5.5%-10.1%2015-16-0.3%-0.3%-3.2%-2.5%2016-17-0.8%-0.5%-3.8%-2.8%2017-18-0.8%-2.1%-4.6%-0.2%2018-19-0.9%-2.1%-4.3%-3.5%2019-200.3%-1.3%-3.2%-2.4%2020-21-5.1%-0.9%-6.4%-4.1%2021-22-2.9%-1.9%-5.6%-7.5%*For 2010-11 and 2011-12 figures presented are RDEL. From 2012-13 onwardspresented as RDEL excluding depreciation.

British National (Overseas): Cost of Living

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, whether British National (Overseas) visa holders will be eligible for Government cost of living support in winter 2022.

Chris Philp: Eligibility for the one-off Cost of Living Payments to support the most vulnerable households is based solely on entitlement to a qualifying benefit (e.g. means-tested or disability benefit) in respect of the qualifying period. Support for energy costs through the Energy Price Guarantee and the £400 Energy Bills Support Scheme will be applied automatically to UK household energy bills. The Council Tax Rebate is delivered as a payment to households in England In properties in Council Tax bands A-D.

Sunscreens: VAT

Mrs Pauline Latham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, if he will remove VAT on (a) suntan lotion and (b) other similar products in the context of the rising cost of living.

Richard Fuller: The Government keeps all taxes under review, however, there are currently no plans to reduce or remove VAT on sunscreen products. Although sun protection products are subject to the standard rate of VAT, high-factor sunscreen is provided VAT free when dispensed by a pharmacist.

Revenue and Customs: Telephone Services

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what recent assessment he has made of the adequacy of HMRC's (a) average telephone response time targets and (b) operating phone hours; and what information his Department holds on average response times from first contact to query resolution for those contacting HMRC across all communication methods.

Richard Fuller: HMRC targets are agreed with HM Treasury and are then used by HMRC to allocate resources appropriately across the department. Information in the form requested is not readily available and could only be obtained, compiled, and collated at a disproportionate cost. However, HMRC publish monthly and quarterly performance data on GOV.UK, available here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-monthly-performance-reports and here:https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/hmrc-quarterly-performance-updates.

Rent a Room Scheme

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effect on consumers of raising the £7500 threshold on the Rent a Room scheme.

Richard Fuller: The most recent assessment on the impacts of raising the threshold for Rent a Room relief was carried out in 2015, when the threshold was increased from £4,250 up to its current level of £7,500 per year. The summary of impacts can be found here:https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rent-a-room-relief-increase/increasing-rent-a-room-relief. No further changes to the threshold have been assessed since then. Ongoing cost estimates of the relief are published annually as part of the Non-Structural Tax Relief statistics release. The most recent release containing information on the Rent a Room scheme was published in December 2021, and can be found here:https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1046800/non_structural_cost_estimates_tables_december_2021.ods.

Energy: Price Caps

Julian Sturdy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what steps the Government is taking to ensure it can fund a freeze on the cost of energy if the level of future economic growth is lower than predicted levels.

Chris Philp: The government has set out decisive action to support people and businesses with their energy bills this winter and next. The scale of the global energy crisis means higher borrowing will be necessary to pay for the temporary support. It is right that we use the tools available to support households through this crisis and spread the costs over time. It is right to use our borrowing powers in the short-term in order to prevent long-term economic damage as we support families and businesses with rising costs. The government’s plan is to increase the trend rate of growth over the long run. The Medium-Term Fiscal Plan, which will be published on 23 November, is a key pillar of the governments growth plan and will set out further details on the fiscal rules, including ensuring that debt falls as a share of GDP in the medium term.

Teodoro Nguema

Ms Lyn Brown: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what estimate he has made of the (a) financial value of assets linked to Teodoro Obiang Mangue that have been frozen in the UK since his Department’s announcement of sanctions against that individual and (b) the number of (i) fines imposed for breaches and (ii) other enforcement actions taken in relation to that asset freeze.

Andrew Griffith: The Office of Financial Sanctions Implementation (OFSI), part of HM Treasury, undertakes an annual review of frozen assets in the UK, requiring all persons or institutions that hold or control frozen assets in the UK to report to OFSI. Details of assets reported to OFSI in 2021 are not yet available and will be published in OFSI’s 2021-2022 Annual Review later this autumn. This figure will be provided on an aggregate basis so as not to disclose the value of funds held by particular individuals, consistent with data protection obligations. OFSI’s website holds details of all monetary penalties it has imposed. OFSI does not comment further on enforcement activity so as not to compromise its operational effectiveness. The relevant page can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/enforcement-of-financial-sanctions